Dream With Me
by ShiiLovesHim
Summary: Years later after a fall out with his friend, Todd's life still hasn't reached the desired level of normalcy. Meanwhile, Pepito has shot through the ranks to the top of the high school social hierarchy. Will this lonely Prince win back his beloved pauper
1. Chapter 1 The other

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything JTHM related and am not making money off of this, this is just for fun. :D

Dream With Me

Chapter 1 - The other

* * *

"Fucking Todd and his shitty fashion sense!"

Frustration overtook Pepito as he shucked off his pajama bottoms and reached for a shirt Todd had left in his room a few years back.

"Can't he _ever_ take all his stuff home?!"

Jerking the worn fabric over his head, Pepito turned to face his reflection in the full length mirror. The grinning face of Tickle-Me-Helmo stared back from the inky fabric stretched tight over his broad chest and shoulders. He should be grateful it wasn't tearing at the seams, after all, it was a shirt from the 'child's section.

"I bet if I wore this they'd _still_ like me." Pepito smirked, "It's vintage!"

His left hand pawed the air for emphasis, "Ok, now…" he turned back to his closet, scanning the missed apparel. "What to wear…."

Eventually he chose a plain black tee over the childish one, followed by straight leg blue jeans. Average yet attractive was his main goal, and it required little effort. As Pepito headed downstairs, socks in hand he thought of the day ahead of him. But his mother's cheery morning voice declared thinking not an option.

"Pepi, sweetheart, how does eggs and toast sound?" Her tone made it clear that this was not a question. He sunk into a chair, bent downward to pull on his socks. Before he had finished a full plate was set down on the placemat in front of him.

"Thanks, mom," he smiled as his mother patted his shoulder.

"It's the big day Pepi! Are you and Todd meeting up to walk to the highschool?"

It was years after the fight that had ended the boy's friendship and he still couldn't think of a way to break it to his mom other than 'Yeah! When the basement freezes over!" Glancing up at her hopeful expression Pepito muttered a weak, 'yeah, mom.' Before shoveling a forkful of egg into his mouth. That was enough talk about Todd for today as far as he was concerned. His mom didn't agree.

"Well, be a dear and remind him that we have a family dinner tomorrow," taking his silent chews as a confirmation, she continued, "in fact if you two boys are free after school, he should come over for cookies! I'm making the dough right now!"

He took his time with the toast, hopefully the chews seemed thoughtful, "Um, I'll ask him, mother."

Pepito crammed the last bite down his throat, "Well, gotta go! Thanks, mom, it was great!"

He practically threw the dishes in the sink before he grabbed his backpack and pulled on his shoes.

"Bye mom!" he called over his shoulder, as he made sure not to slam the door.

Pepito would have to use the walk to school for focusing on the task at hand. Blending with the lower a-crowd as he had all throughout junior high, then slowly gaining rank was the overall objective. But for now he simply had to appear normal and likeable. He had made sure to pack everything, several times, yet he still had the feeling of something vital forgotten. _It's my first day of high school, of course I'm nervous_. That's what he told himself anyways, it was just butterflies in his stomach. He tried to convince himself it wasn't the same familiar feeling he had been dealing with for years now. He tried to tell himself these things over and over again, but it didn't seem to matter.

"Stupid fucking tee-shirt."

* * *

Todd sighed heavily, knowing all too well how close he was to the school. His parents were bickering about the exact rules for turning at a fourway intersection and, as usual, Nny was winning. It was amazing to Todd, just how often they manipulated each other.

Soon silence filled the small car as the squabbled came to an abrupt halt. Nny had seemed restless all morning, twitchy and writhing about.

"SO Todd!" Twisting viciously towards the teenager, Nny flashed his best 'comforting face'. He had been practicing it lately, so of course he wanted to show it off. "High school, now it's time for the real assholes to emerge from their seemingly innocent shells!"

The maniac's grip tightened on the upholstery, thin nails repeatedly digging into the abused fabric, "Are you sure you don't want a-"

Edgar cut in, "He is not taking a weapon to school!"

Nny glared at the driver. Being interrupted wasn't his favorite thing in the world. Instead of provoking another argument, he simply turned in his seat to stare straight out the window.

Todd closed his eyes, trying to relax, for the rest of the drive. Blending, I just need to blend in. A huge high school means new kids and a chance at normal interactions. A broad smile graced Todd's face at the thought of not being ridiculed, having friends to…do whatever normal friends did. Movies, parties, and sporting events he assumed.

The rapid decrease in speed alerted Todd once more. On his left stood the giant building, resembling a rundown southern state prison, only less clean and friendly.

Todd jerked his bag along with him onto the curb, shut the door and peered around at his surroundings. Plenty of teens were already milling about the campus.

Nny proceeded to flail his arms, emphasizing his importance, while dangling his torso out the window. "And remember we got you that cell phone for a reason! If anyone, anyone of those filthy maggots tries to-"

"Ok, Nny, I'm stepping on the accelerator now." Edgar warned from the driver's seat.

"Hey, Squeegee, want me to walk you to class!?" Nny had begun to scramble from the window now, "Yeah, I'll walk you to class!"

"No! Er…daaad…that's fine, I'm fine, really!" Todd glanced at Mr. Edgar, begging him silently.

The comments of his fellow students were steadily gaining volume.

"Ew, he has two dads? This isn't San Francisco!"

"He has to be a fag! He's so thin!"

"Gross!"

Todd prayed to every known deity that Johnny hadn't heard them.

"Remember Squee! One call and I'm here in five minutes!"

Todd waved sheepishly, finally finding his voice, "Drive, Mr. Edgar, drive!!"

And with that the car was speeding towards the road, leaving Todd in a mass of scoffing adolescents.


	2. Chapter 2 Night

Dream With Me

Chapter 2 - Night

Pepito had been relieved when his friends from the junior high had welcomed him back with open arms…though not without a quick once over. They had to check him for impurities of the lower social classes before placing trust in him. Clearly he had passed the inspection as they were now chatting freely in front of the school about summer activities. Pepito chose to keep several details out of his retelling, mostly his sexual endeavors.

While one of the girls prattled on about Florida weather, Pepito became aware as to where the attention of the group was focused. A familiar navy blue car had pulled up to hug the curve by the front entrance. But the group's interest was more for the passenger forcing himself through the car's window and the shriek that escaped the boy on the curb.

Pepito knew all too well that the boy's 'father' would prove his threats true without a moment's hesitation. He gradually became aware of his friends' jeers towards the boy.

"Ew, he has two dads? This isn't San Francisco!"

_Wow, what a creative bunch I hang with these days._

"He _has_ to be a fag! He's so _thin_!"

_Same old story…_ Pepito mentally scoffed, but made sure his face betrayed no emotion. It was only the first day and these were only petty insults. _They should have given him a weapon!_ He felt his thoughts traveling down a well worn road. _I know these people…._Disgusted by his own embarrassment, Pepito remembered a vital piece of information. He should be laughing, ridiculing along with the others.

He felt his mouth opening to release a, "Gross!"

Todd's down trodden posture as the car pulled out was enough to break his heart, yet e kept laughing, kept pretending. _Nny should have walked Squee to class!_ But before his train of thought could continue he derailed it, staying focused was mandatory. He watched as Todd stumbled through the crowd towards the double doors. Shoulders seemed to jut out in time to knock Todd back every few feet. Hopefully that wouldn't last long…

* * *

Frankly, Todd's day had sucked ass. But that didn't mean there wasn't time to fix that. Lunch time had arrived and Todd, being a bag luncher, had retreated to a lower level hallway sure to be empty. He knew this wasn't the way to make friends, but a peaceful meal just seemed too great of an opportunity to pass up.

With about twelve minutes to spare, Todd made his way back towards the cafeteria. Sodas were actually pretty cheap at the school store, and therefore worth the risk.

Handing off the exact change to the cashier, Todd turned to head towards the next period only to be met by yet another great opportunity. Pepito sat directly in front of him, chatting away happily with his horrible friends.

Seventh grade had marked the end of their best friendship, and though Todd had officially called it off he still felt bitter that it had only been of help to Pepito's popularity. Todd's own status had lowered back down to rest at 'punching bag'. It may have been extremely awkward to approach Pepito, but Todd knew it was ten times worse for the beloved Antichrist than himself.

"Hello Pepi." Todd cooed, plopping down between two girls, staring straight over at Pepito. "How goes the first day of school?"

Pepito's confused and utterly horrified gaze was broken finally as he stuttered, "U-uh…"

"Well anyways! My _dads_ just wanted to make sure your _mommy_ knew we'd be over for dinner at the _usual time_." Flashing a quick smile around at the group of a-list teens, Todd finished with, "Oh, and we aren't supposed to lock your bedroom door anymore.

He rolled his eyes, laughed in a giddy fashion, and nearly ran from the table. Though he glanced back quickly to watch Pepito's face, as well as the curious sharks beginning to circle him.

Twelve full hours later and Todd still felt slightly guilty, but it was so rare for him to get back at people like that.

His thoughts drifted in and out, he just wanted to sleep. But Nny's latest unsettling revelation was at full capacity.

"You can't look at it _and_ think about it!! When you're not looking at it you need to remember it, focus on it! But ….when you're looking at it you know everything's there! It's all there Edgar!"

"Nny…it's one in the morning…I'm not even sure what you're talking about."

"The end pieces, damn it! Are they relevant?!"

"Nny, most people are sleeping now, Todd has school tomorrow.."

"Yes, yes sleepy time. But the relevance!! Those horrible end pieces! With no end pieces would there be a middle? No….no, without death life becomes a meaningless toll, the balance is disturbed. Without the end piece the middle would cease to exist! With no clear end the idea of a middle would only create a logic loop of doom locked into one single loaf!"

"…Did you just compare the meaning of life to bread crusts?"

"That's not answering my question!"

"Even if there were no 'ugly' crust ends there would still be end pieces that would end up stale. If this bugs you _so_ much maybe we could come up with a NEW NAME just to please you!!"

Their voices were escalating as Edgar became steadily more agitated. Sadly these conversations were common place between the three males, especially this late at night while they remained packed into a single queen sized bed. Todd _really_ needed his own room.

"You didn't answer my fucking question! You're like a fucking fortune cookies! Always irrelevant!"

"Just think of a NEW NAME! God _DAMN!_"

"Fuck youuuuuu!"

And with that last endearing nick name Nny had picked up for Edgar over the years, he ran from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Todd shifted to his side realizing sleep was not on its way.

"Mr. Edgar?"

"…yes, Todd?"

"I'm awake…can I go watch t.v.?"

"Yeah, Nny may try to start with you next…"

"Probably."

With that he grabbed Schmee and padded off in search of entertainment.

* * *

Lunchtime was Pepito's favorite part of the day, too bad he had last lunch this year. He usually just went for snacks from the school store, but after finishing his cheese pretzel, soda and a candy bar he still wanted a bag of Senior Salsa chips.

Laughing idly at one of his table mates' jokes before announcing his need for chips he stood to get his desired snack. His eyes fell on Todd ordering a soda and he immediately sat back down.

"What was that Pepito? Space out there?" one of the blondes across from him teased.

"Well, you know…don't want to get fat or anything." He chuckled lightly, in case they missed his sarcasm.

With that justification the girls returned to their gossip as the other four boys at the table feigned interest.

"Good god! Naomi has gotten so _fat_ lately! Did you see her thighs in that mini skirt?"

Pepito though back to Naomi's legs that morning and raised his eyebrows. Now that she had some meat on her bones she had started to fill out nicely, managing to reach a solid C bra size, to his best estimate. Before he had the chance to tune back in he noticed the two brown eyes staring him down, and the playful smirk just below them.

Todd was making his way to the table, but didn't stop there. No, he actually sat down straight across from Pepito, still smirking.

_Oh, this can't be good…_

"Hello, Pepi." Todd's sickeningly sweet tone only added to Pepito's mortification. "How goes the first day of school?"

What the hell was this for!? Todd had a bad habit of forgetting who wronged who in their relationship's past.

Realizing he should probably respond he stammered to find words.

"U-uh…" But Todd didn't seem to want his input in this conversation.

"Well anyways! My _dads_ just wanted to make sure your _mommy_ knew we'd be over for dinner at the _usual time_."

_Oh god! Why is he doing this to me!? Make it stop!_

"Pepito barely registered the supposedly friendly smile Todd passed around to his friends, as they looked on with a mix of revulsion for Todd's presence and a questioning horror for his words.

"Oh, and we aren't supposed to lock your bedroom door anymore."

Pepito's blood ran cold as Todd rolled his eyes, insinuating so very much before picking himself up and running from the situation.

Silence.

"Ha, jeeze! Who was that guy!? Talk about a freak!...right?"

Pepito scraped the bottom of the barrel for some lasting dignity. _Maybe if I pretend I don't know him they'll forget this even happened!_

Luckily his friends seemed more than pleased to accept he wasn't a disgusting fruit in disguise and began to laugh and scoff at the crazy boy they had just encountered. Soon enough conversation returned to its normal flow. But Pepito just couldn't calm himself.

"Sorry guys, I forgot something in my locker. See ya in class!"

Waving calmly, Pepito made for his escape. He kept a calm leisurely pace all the way through the hall to the smaller of two boys' bathrooms. He closed the stall door, sat down and hovered just above the filthy toilet seat. Pepito unleashed.

"Asshole! What the fucking hell!? He's worse than a women while menstruating! Ahhhhh!"

He slammed a fist against the toilet paper dispenser, he finished his tirade. A heaving chest and shrunken pupils were not the only signs of his anger. Finger nails turned black, horns protruded through his fine red hair, and deep brown eyes faded into scarlet edging. Anger definitely affected his disguising control.

After he managed to calm himself down, Pepito exited the stall and made his way to the sink. A splash of water along with deep breaths had his disguise back in order. "What does he want from me?"

* * *

After school Pepito stood in the entry way of his house taking off his shoes and idly listening to his mother chatter from the kitchen about cookies. He stared at his shoes next to his father's and mother's. Absently he straightened them with his sock covered toes, making them neat and tidy.

"Now is my favorite little Todd with you?"

"No, mother," Pepito answered automatically.

Silence. Never a good sign. That meant she was seething.

"These cookies are ready, _sweetie_, why don't you come in and have some to eat while you do your homework?"

Pepito sighed and shuffled down the hall and into the dining room. His mother had set out several plates of different cookies on colorful placemats. Two glasses of milk rested hopefully on the table next to some cheap plastic plates. Napkins cutely folded into triangles lying flatly next to them. Pepito felt his shoulders slump in exasperation.

"Sit down Pepi, have some snacks, I'm sure you've had a busy day making new _friends_." Barbara chirped, straightening out the placemats that really didn't need straightening. It wasn't a suggestion.

Pepito dropped his backpack to the floor and sat down, helping himself to the cookies his mother had prepared for him and his _friend_. He took several and ate them, humming appreciatively while Barbara stared, her smile never leaving her face.

"Now do you have homework?"

He took a few extra minutes to chew cookies he'd already swallowed as he thought about what would be an acceptable answer, "Um, not really mom. It was the first day they never give homework."

"Oh well that's just silly Pepi," She patted his shoulder lovingly; "you should still keep yourself mentally fit. How about I go get a book from the study for you to read while you have your snack?"

With that she disappeared up the stairs, a happily vindictive bounce in her step. Pepito let his head fall onto his plate with a clatter, dutifully ignoring his mother's cheerful reprimand from upstairs. He noted, with no small amount of wonder, that his mother wasn't the only one disappointed Todd wasn't there.


	3. Chapter 3 Dear

Dream With Me

Chapter 3 - Dear

* * *

Todd, amazingly managed to drag himself to first period on time. Thorough exhaustion filled him to the brim. At about three am Nny had returned from the basement, cheerful as ever, and had rounded the small family up for a trip to the convenience store. It was only the second day and he already planned on sleeping through most of it. The good thing about sleeping through class was how amazingly fast the day went by. Todd sighed against his desktop before departing for dreamland.

* * *

Pepito had gone to bed fairly early, thanks to his mother's extremely boring book selection. As expected hid ream had revolved around Todd, just like every other night after he had interacted with him.

This dream had been a rerun, but had felt just as awful as the last three hundred times.

There was a slight variation on their age, which he thought was rather strange, but the conversation always went the same worn out way.

Pepito remembered calling Todd to ask if he wanted to sleep over but he had been busy. Then after the next family dinner he had still been busy. Nearly two weeks went by till Pepito had asked his mother during a Friday night dinner. Of course his mother was delighted to have little Todd over, Nny and Edgar saw nothing wrong with it but, Pepito had noted a certain sour look on his friend's face.

The dream usually picked up when the two had just settled down in Pepito's room. Despite both boys being thirteen, they still managed to sleep comfortably on the twin bed.

"Is something the matter, Squee?"

"…stop calling me that."

"Wha-"

"Don't call me that. My name's Todd."

After six years of using the nickname, Todd seemed too formal, too distant.

"Ok…_Todd_, how come this wasn't an issue before?"

"I never really had a choice, _Pepito_. Kinda like our friendship." Todd spat out the last word.

"I don't understand. Our friendship? What's wrong with us?" Pepito had been completely lost, yet now a feeling of dread began to spread throughout him.

"First it was you, deciding we were friends, then my parents forcing me here, and then Nny likes your mommy so much that they make me come here!"

"Make you? Squ-Todd, you don't like my house?"

"I _hate_ it here! I don't like it or you or your creepy demonic-ness!"

Pepito actually felt his body pull away from Todd's harsh insults. Unconsciously adverting his two toned eyes, Pepito tried to pull his elf together.

"Y-you never wanted to be my friend? Not even now, a little?

There was no reply from Todd as he turned away, facing the door.

"Do you want to go home now…?" Pepito had been sure of Todd's response, till it actually came.

"No. I'll just wait for Mr. Edgar to get me…"

The rest of the night was filled with tension, hurt, and anger. His mind displayed it in the dream as him wanting to leave but stuck to the bed, unmoving. He would stare at the stiffened back of his not-friend until he woke up.

Pepito rolled onto his side and stared at the electronic clock. 2am. There was no getting back to sleep now. He slid out of bed and padded to the door. No, he shook his head, he wasn't going to wallow. This was an annoyance, a fly to be swatted away.

He went down the stairs and ambled into the kitchen. There were a few plates set out on the counter covered in towels. Pepito lifted p the towels one by one till he found the chocolate chip cookies. Then he grabbed the plate, pulled the milk carton from the fridge and went into the living room. The book his mother had given him earlier had been relocated to the end table by his father's arm chair. He set his snack on the table and collapsed into the comfortable leather chair. Pepito opened the book and stared at the page. His eyes scanned over the words but he didn't read them.

Soft delicate footsteps alerted him to his mother's presence. He started when she settled one of her petite hands on his bare shoulder.

"Are you alright, baby?" she murmured.

"No, but I will be," Pepito answered. His eyes ripped away from the page to connect with his mother's.

"Okay," she leaned down and kissed his forehead, "I love you, dearheart."

Pepito unconsciously leant into her hand as she swept it through his hair, "I love you too, mom."

"I'm going back to bed. If you're still up at six, start on breakfast."

"Okay mom."

She patted his head and walked out of the room her footsteps almost inaudible. Pepito was still up at six.

* * *

"Honey, we're using the new table-set tonight!" His mother told him. Pepito stared at what would've been the towel drawer for most normal families.

Instead he had a wide deep drawer filled with different 'table-sets'. A table-set consisted of cloth napkins, a table cloth, a ornamental rings to hold the folded napkins, and of course silverwear and dishes. They were quartered off and boxed. Pepito saw the box on top; shiny, new, and unopened. He took it out of the drawer and shuffled into the dining room. There he set the box on one of the tall backed dining chairs his mother had polished earlier.

After opening it he carefully pulled out the cream colored table cloth. It was soft in his hands and covered in a crimson floral pattern. He noted as he painstakingly unfolded it that it matched the furniture and décor seamlessly. Trained so well by his mother he cringed at the minute wrinkle in the otherwise exquisite fabric. Pepito ignored it, planning on setting a dish over it as soon as he'd laid it out. Besides that, to gather up the cloth and fastidiously go and iron it would slaughter his image of his manhood forevermore.

Pepito finished setting the table and looked to the clock. He had about half an hour before Todd and his dads would show up. He glanced at his mother, who was just finishing with dinner preparation. She moved back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen; gather the serving dishes and filling them with various courses. When that was done she straightened the already straight, then she returned to he kitchen to pick out a recipe for desert.

"Pepito, dear, come here please! Stop standing there staring at nothing, darling, it's quite unbecoming," his mom cooed.

Pepito shook his head, gathering himself, before entering the kitchen. His mother beckoned him to her side and he obliged her. Mostly his eyes were trained on her hands and how they were measuring out ingredients and putting them in small separate dishes. Her voice sliced through the air, rigidly happy. Pepito knew that voice. It was exhausted, exasperated, and forcefully cheery. It meant she was angry at him.

"Alright Pepi," she started, "since Todd couldn't make it over yesterday I figured out a way for you to get a bit more quality time."

_Quality time?_

"I know you can cook, Pepi. The last cake you made-"

"…turned out okay only because we made another batch of batter!"

"Oh Pepi-"

"Mom, you said it tasted like an anti-acid." Pepito gave her a blank look which she diligently ignored.

"So, I measured all the ingredients for you," his mom fished a pencil and some sticky notes out of the junk drawer, "and I labeled them."

"Follow the instructions, sweetie. That's all. Besides, with Todd's help I'm sure it'll be fine."

His mom showed him the cake recipe they'd be making after dinner and then sent him up to his room to clean. What this meant was: vacuum the floor your mother vacuumed this morning, and sit on your bed till the guests arrive. That's exactly what he did. While his mother had been explaining how easy the cake recipe was and how much fun he'd have all Pepito could think was, _I think I'd rather catch AIDS._ But of course he couldn't say that. Instead he smiled and nodded.

When he heard his mother's call to come downstairs Pepito mentally prepared himself for the worst night of his life. Then he went down the stairs and saw the look in Todd's eyes. Pepito could never prepare enough.

* * *

The dinner was arranged the same as it had been for the past eleven years. Barbara and Juan at the two heads of the table, Nny and Edgar on the side closest to the kitchen which left todd with Pepito on the other side.

Elbow to elbow not was good position for the boys. Though Todd had held back tonight, there had still been several 'accidental' bumps just as Pepito was about to take a drink, or swallow a bite. This resulted in much chastising from his mother.

Other than these reprimands the adults were consumed in their own idle chatter, content to remain ignorant to their sons and the hateful scowls they wore.

More than anything, Pepito just wanted the night to end. He had fought off a deeply rooted sigh as he raised his glass for a drink. His mother had always made a great stew and the biscuits weren't bad either. But Todd's foul mood seemed to soil the food as he chewed it, leaving a displeasing aftertaste.

He didn't even jump as Todd's elbow collided with his, ice water dribbling down into his lap. As he set down his glass a sarcastic and sickeningly sweet 'Sorry, Pepi' sounded from his left.

Pepito picked up his napkin, smiled and bent over, close to Todd's ear, "Its ok, Todd, I barely even noticed the ice since I've been sitting by a frigid bitch all night!" his voice just above a whisper to prevent alerting his mother's 'profanity radar'. The scrawny teen visibly tensed and all further tortures were delayed till after dinner.

"Now, you two have fun!" The cheerful command from his mother had not improved either of the boys moods, though Pepito currently had the upper hand and felt slightly more at ease.

Pepito stood at the counter, hunched over. He glared at the instructions double checking them. Todd had glanced at the recipe once, giggled and seated himself atop the counter directly opposite the mixing bowl. _Oh yes, mom, he is such a great helper!_ He remained bitter all the while till the mixed ingrediants were ready for the oven.

"Thanks for the help, I had tons of fun, Todd! We should do this more often!" Pepito chirped before lightly patting one of Todd's thighs, to the boy's obvious disgust.

He blushed slightly, embarrassed, before cocking his head the side, "Any time Pepi!"

Then he hopped down from the counter, swishing his hips slightly as he made his way up the stairs. It was a habit he had absorbed from Nny's absentminded walk.

Todd had once told him it always signaled a very thought consumed and possibly homicidal Johnny, and these were most likely very similar to the emotions Todd currently harbored towards him.

Pepito begrudgingly followed his _best friend_ up the stairs, first though, he had remembered to set the timer. He closed his bedroom door behind him, and noted that Todd was in his usual place; the worn old bean bag chair that sat in the corner of his room.

He chose to ease himself onto the large bed; and leaned back to better stare up at the ceiling. Todd didn't seem up for conversation and he wasn't quite in the mood to play video games.

Soon Pepito felt himself grow used to Todd's fixed gaze on him and even began to relax. He loved the place in between consciousness and dreaming. You were just free enough to allow your thoughts free reign yet still far from actual dreams. He was a frequent visitor there though his thoughts were dancing around more than usual making it nearly impossible for his brain to focus on just one. Being so transfixed on these dancing memories Pepito didn't even notice Todd's relocation to the foot of the bed.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure what his motives were at this point, but he had felt the need to further inspect Pepito's eyelids. The thin strips of skin were fluttering quite sporadically almost in a comical fashion. He nearly let his laughter escape as Pepito began to mutter complete nonsense. That could have been because the boy's lips were still closed or it really could have been a lack of proper language.

Todd snickered as Pepito's lips formed a slight pout. This seemed to loosen them, allowing for more audible mumbles to be produced. His face fell immediately as his name became apparent through the sleepy ranting.

"I jus on get…mnnn…jus..wan…be friens…squegeh…wh so mad."

As he fell silent Todd felt his confusion and frustration rising.

"How…how DARE you!" He finally erupted, Pepito, startled at both the shouts and the shift in position of Todd, stared wide eyed. "You don't get anything do you!? I had to deal with you for all that time and-"

Todd cut off his speech to glare at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I…uh-" Pepito sputtered.

"No! I tried _so_ hard, _so god damned hard_, and nothing! You cut your hair, a little training with Daddy and _bam_! You get it that fast: friends, popularity and anything else! I'm just the fucking same, while you…." _You're normal_, he finished bitterly to himself.

Finally Pepito had caught on. Same old Todd, same old fight.

"Todd's rant soon became a slur of whines on several topics, fighting to get his point across and failing. Usually such a great linguist, he found it all disappeared when yelling at Pepito. His string of obscenities finally died down and he focused once more on the other's face.

"…So, Todd,"

He really wasn't sure how Pepito would react, maybe turn over and ignore him like usual.

"I was thinking," his voice was surprisingly low and almost comforting. Todd had to strain to catch all of his words, "that maybe tomorrow we could go for a nice candle lit dinner, a movie perhaps, and then I could stick my penis in your **VAG.**"

All of his words, that is, except the last which was screamed at full lung capacity.

"Get the fuck over it!" Pepito was perched up now, face slightly reddened with emotion.

Todd stood, mouth agape, eyebrows furrowed, for several agonizing moments before turning on his heel and marching from the room. _What…an ass._

Said ass was soon to follow, hissing, "That cake better taste fucking _magnificent_."


	4. Chapter 4 As I Lay

**#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&**

**A/n:** This story is a SEQUEL to another JTHM fic (Nny/Edgar) entitled Just One Lullaby, the link can be found on my profile. :D So if you're confused about certain aspects of the story you will find potential explanations within the story that came before this one. Though it is not entirely necessary to read it, it might help on a few things. 3

**#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&**

Dream With Me

Chapter 4 - As I Lay

* * *

The desert had gone by surprisingly well, thanks to Todd's intense silence. His mother had beamed at how well the cake had turned out, congratulating the both of them.

As Pepito munched happily on his slice of cake he listened to Nny and his mother discussing some type of as seen on TV product. He glanced at Todd, reveling in the silent and submissive demeanor. _Man! If I had known it would shut him up I would have said that years ago!_

He walked the 4 guests out with his mother, waving at their backs as they got into the newer of their two cars, but let his hand fall limp as Todd looked out the window at him. It was a look he had only seen once before, when Todd had begun to regret letting-no, he was imagining it. This was nothing compared to the guilt of your own parents' death.

Before helping his mother with the dishes, he shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind. He just wanted to forget about the conversation and get some sleep. Hopefully he could have a nice, enjoyable dream tonight.

* * *

"Come on." Todd whined at the stubborn stain. _I've been on this same spot for forever…_

Immediately after returning home Todd had entered the kitchen, determined to work off some emotions. But there were no dishes, clean counters and walls fairly decent. This left him with the floor. Mr. Edgar always kept the house clean but sometimes he missed a spot or two. Todd was thankful for these.

His lower lip protruded out slightly, as he pushed down harder. He loved just how focused his mind became when cleaning, all encumbering thoughts drifted out till it was just him, the floor and a soapy sponge. Todd was so fixated on his cleaning he didn't even notice his mother entering the kitchen. He jumped at the sound of the other's throat clearing.

"So…had a bad day?" Mr. Edgar's question was tentative, and yet not really a question. He knew his son well, and so he knew the answer. Todd sometimes hated him for it.

"No," Todd squeaked.

"Nothing on your mind…?" Mr. Edgar persisted.

"No." Todd desperately tried to suppress the high pitched cracks in his voice.

"Oh, I see…" Todd noticed with a sense of gratefulness and annoyance as Mr. Edgar picked up a stray sponge from the sink and lowered himself to his knees next to him. He too began to scrub at another small speck of grime. Silence followed for several minutes before Todd felt his eyes water and fell completely still.

Rearing back and lifting off of his heels Todd slung the sponge against the fridge, "This stupid stain!"

Todd slumped towards the tile once more, nearly laying his head on top of the offending smudge.

"Todd…" his mother started, hesitant and sympathetic, "…that's just part of the marble tile design."

Mr. Edgar placed a hand softly on the square of the boy's back, "But don't worry, I do that a lot."

An awkward chuckle followed his statement and then silence again. Todd allowed a few tears to leak from his eyes as he gave in to his parent's gentle prodding.

"Mr. Edgar…?" Todd sniffed from his place on the floor.

"…yes Todd?" came the familiar reply.

"I had a bad day."

That was all he could say. Todd realized with a bit of healthy self-loathing that he'd had quite a few 'bad days' over the past few years. It was a friendly, all encompassing way of saying, 'my day sucked, and tomorrow will suck, yesterday sucked, all of my days just seem to suck mooooom!' To avoid another interrogation Todd tried to find the stain on the floor again, despite his blurred vision. He didn't even know why Pepito's last insult had gotten to him so bad. He'd said worse things. In retrospect, what he said at the dinner table could have been seen as worse.

_Get the fuck over it!_ That one jab still stung. Every time he thought of it, it felt like someone was pouring rubbing alcohol on an open wound. He closed his eyes and winced. For the past several years he'd been giving Pepito shit over the stupid fight that he, himself, had started. He didn't even know why. For quite a while after their fight in seventh grade Pepito had tried to make up with him, to get him back as a friend. Those were the worst months of his life. Todd regretted them so much; he'd been so mean to Pepito. That was before his not-friend had started fighting back. Now that he did, Todd realized that Pepito probably hated him for all he was worth. He'd pushed and pushed and pushed Pepito away and now they weren't friends. He'd gotten what he'd wanted back then. It was time for him to move on and leave Pepito alone.

The sound of his father's voice brought him out of his reverie like a rock shattering a window, "Home depot? Squeegee?"

"Todd's had a bad day," was the worried reply.

_Don't call me that._ Todd cringed at the sound of his own sniveling voice ringing through his head. He'd told Pepito to quit it, and he had quite dutifully. Yet, in this moment Nny using the nickname was the most comforting thing in the world.

"Freezie?" Nny's voice was both hopeful and concerned. He was crazy and homicidal, but he was a good enough parent when it mattered.

"I think that would be a good idea," Edgar murmured.

Todd loved it when his parents got like this. When they realized that he'd had such a thoroughly bad day they didn't force him to talk about it. Instead they acted around him, took him out to eat, got him something, talked to each other over his head, and told him comforting things. At that moment he allowed Mr. Edgar to help him stand up and lead him out the front door, Nny right behind them.

The air outside was chilly and wet from a light mist, almost rain. The sky was clear but for a few weeping clouds and the stars were blinking at them, winking maybe. It was quite late by now but that just meant no one would be out to give them any problems. The perfect night to for a walk as a family. Edgar had looped one arm around his shoulders and Nny walking on his other side did so as well. First they were still talking to each other, but then, it seemed that Todd had caught Nny on just the right night, and he hadn't come out of his gloom soon enough.

"Squeegee, I know that starting high school was going to be hard on you. Those maggots got to you didn't they? Who are they? Just tell me who. Phonebooks are informative." Nny's words were horrifyingly casual, his voice coming out as a coo, "Trial and error made fun with phonebooks, yep."

He had to pull himself together. Nny was dangerously worried. Whenever he grew affectionate like this it meant bad news for whomever it was that had caused his son's distress. Todd couldn't very well tell him it was Pepito because it really was just Todd's fault and Nny wouldn't see it that way. While the mad man loved his friendship with Barbara he genuinely cared for his son more and would brutally maim the antichrist. Not only would that cut off his ties with the cheery woman who cared so much for him, but Pepito would be angry and have nothing to do about it. He couldn't kill the one being holding together the universe he hoped to conquer one day. It would be a logic loop of doom outside of a bread loaf.

Todd blinked, trying to dispel his tears as much as possible, "I'm fine Nny, its okay. No maggot murdering. But thank you for the offer, and taking me out for a freezie."

Nny's eyes lit up, "No problem Squeegee! A good freezie always makes it better!"

The light of the still open gas mart was looming in front of them on the horizon. They were that much closer to their precious freezie. Todd glanced back and forth between his two parents. Mr. Edgar was relaxed, a small smile gracing his lips. Nny was grinning so wide he was only a few teeth short of crazy, his eyes beaming with that affectionate expression he got when they were having 'family time'. Todd felt himself smile too.

"Mr. Edgar, Nny?"

"…yes Todd?"

"Hmmm, Squeegee?"

"I love my family."


	5. Chapter 5 Sleeping

Dream With Me

Chapter 5 - Sleeping

Pepito was having a good day. Well, actually a good month. He had no idea that one comment could earn him so much peace of mind. If he'd known that one insult, just one, could silence the bitch that had ruined so many days, so many months of his life, he would have said it long ago. Without a painful reminder of a fight, relentless teasing, whining, his life was better, brighter. It ran faster, jumped higher, lifted bigger boulders than it had before. Even family dinners were pleasant.

In all the improvement seen the best had to be life outside of his house. No more painfully awkward moments with his friends thanks to Todd's cruel word choice or hateful sideways glances to be exchanged. Pepito was free to focus on being a teenager, and having good idiotic fun.

Oh yeah, this is fun all. Pepito sidestepped yet another drunken boy, swaggering towards the kitchen.

The party had started off pleasant enough, but as with all high school house parties, there had to be a point of decreasing enjoyment for the few who could hold their liquor. Tonight's had started with the what-the-fucks, a horrid thing to witness. It consisted of grabbing as many potent drinks and mixing them at random and swallowing as much as possible before you 'passed out'. Really, most didn't get too far.

He lightly perched himself on an unoccupied arm rest, ignoring the couple, half heartedly attempting to remove their clothing that was entangled on the couch.

finishing off a screwdriver, he contemplated another beer, but didn't want to move just yet. The party was more of a small drinking session after the varsity game, as was tradition for all high ranking students. There were close to ten people sloshing about the house, since plenty had left for a drive or a beer run. A lot of them usually ended up in a ditch or at another party somewhere.

Setting his glass down on the entrée coated coffee table, he leaned back onto his sanctified section of the extremely unholy couch. It was several minutes before he took notice of a pair of big brown eyes softly watching him.

A pleasant smile overtook his face, as the slender girl made her way across the room. She stopped just short of him, cocked her hip to the side and continued to nurse what was clearly not her first wine cooler.

"Well, hello."

"Who are you here with? She raised a brow slowly, a grin spreading over her glossed lips.

This girl was far from classy, a miniskirt and white tank top didn't exactly command respect for her, but she was hot. Large doe eyes along with a soft smile were well complimented by her thin waist and ample breasts. Pepito couldn't help but show a few more teeth. _Perhaps this could be fun after all_.

* * *

As painful as it was for Todd to admit he was in the wrong, it also had this freeing quality to it. He realized that with Pepito not openly antagonizing him he was being angry for nothing. He didn't have 

to be angry. Once he'd figured that out it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The first family dinner after his great epiphany was the best he'd ever had. He was more than happy to chat with Miss Barbara and to shake hands with Mr. Juan.

That first family dinner he was so at peace, so content he might as well have been floating. As usual after dinner was over Todd and Pepito was sent upstairs to hang out until desert was ready. Todd went over to his usual beanbag and curled up in it. He smiled and closed his eyes for a short nap.

* * *

What…the hell? He so happy, and …even nice! Pepito perched on the edge of his bed, waiting for both Todd, and the terribly bitchy beast to awaken. He has to be up to something, but what could he do? Realistically what could the boy do, he was the freaking antichrist. Yet there he sat, twitching at every movement made, and confused as ever.

He had won, in a way. Todd was nice, and quiet to boot. More than anything he seemed indifferent towards Pepito, not really cold, just lukewarm.

The dinner had been so pleasant that Pepito had sat mouth slightly agape, through most of it.

He continued to recall the night so far, and ponder the reason for such drastic changes. Maybe he'll kill me in my sleep, or something equally as devious. He has had Nny's influence after all.

He had built up such an adrenaline rush, that he nearly jumped off the bed as Todd began to stir.

A series of soft grunts sounded from him as he stretched out to his full length, twisting to the side slightly before relaxing completely. Pepito watched out of the corner of his eye as Todd yawned and began extracting himself from the beanbag.

"So…mind if I play some video games?" He sighed happily.

"Uh…no?"

He only continued to watch, uncomfortable to his very core.

After that Todd didn't say a single word more, till it was time for goodbyes.

"Bye Pepito!" He had chirped before turning from the doorway.

"Bye?"

The days following had become increasingly enjoyable, even at school. Todd was receptive of Pepito's notices from his mother to Nny, and even smiled at him. He never approached Pepito, or showed signs of contempt, in fact they both just seemed happier now.

Pepito's weekend had been two full days of parties, concluding with a pretty little brunette and plenty of alcohol. Sundays were for recuperating but now it was back to school, and he had yet another message to deliver: 'Family' dinner tomorrow at the Diablos'.

He headed towards the front of the school, close to Todd's last class of the day in hopes of catching him. The halls weren't too crowded and it was easy enough to spot the scraggly teen clad in stripes.

"Hey To-" But he stopped just short realizing he was talking to someone. It was Peter, one of the lowly gamer nerds and he seemed a little familiar to be just idle chatter.

He slunk to the other side of the hallway, pressed against the dirty lockers and began to feign interest in his cell phone contact list.

"…sorta new, just got it last month."

"Well don't forget to bring it over, and that other dance one?

"Yeah, yeah, sure. You really like that one, huh?" Peter chuckled, shifting the heavy textbooks in his arms.

"I know, it's one of my vices, so you want to get something to eat after class or just head over to my place?" Todd seemed a bit hesitant, his movements were twitchy, and self conscious.

"Yeah sure, Taco Hell?"

The conversation had run its course and soon the two were waving goodbye, Peter trotting off to class and Todd turning to enter the classroom.

"Hey Todd!" He had made friends! They may have 'hated' each other but Pepito could still understand just how great that was for him. He pushed off of the grungy locker doors, calling out once more, "Todd!"

He halted mid door frame to glance over his shoulder, "Oh, hey Pepito, what's up?"

Smiling Pepito casually tilted his head, "Not much. My mother wanted me to say the usual. Six tomorrow."

"I'll tell Mr. Edgar."

Todd turned to leave but Pepito felt the need to continue the conversation.

"So, uh, you and peter are hanging out?"

"Yeah…he's coming to my house…"

Now that, he knew, was significant. Besides himself Todd had never had anyone over to his house, ever.

"That's pretty cool."

"Yes, it is." Todd was now glancing around as if he had become a tiring nuisance.

"So I thought that maybe," What was he saying? "we could hang but before dinner tomorrow." _This is pathetic!_ At Todd's silence, he finished with a lame, "a movie or something…?"

To his horror Todd had sporadically doubled over with laughter.

"A-ahaha! Oh a-hee, God, why?" Todd managed to stifle his last chuckles.

Pepito would ignore the lazy being's mention, for now, "Ah…aren't we…you seemed like-aren't we…?"

"What? Friends? Oh, shit no! I _hate_ you!" An insanely amused grin had now joined Todd's giggles.

"…uh-"

"Woo, wow." Todd shook his head, shuffling into the class, but Pepito stood, rooted to that spot. Even as the last few students shoved past him, and the bell rang signaling his need to report to the office, he stood there, perfectly still.

"That...hurt a little..."

He could hear his voice shake slightly. _How pathetic…_


	6. Chapter 6 I dreamed

Department of Motor Vehicles

Chapter 6- I dreamed (of licensing)

It had always been a bit of a personal goal to miss as little days as was possible for Pepito Diablo. He was saving those days, of course for skipping out with his friends. Funny, it seemed most fitting for him to botch that goal over Todd. p

He smiled warmly at the office assistant sporting a fine silver cross around her neck.p

"My mother wishes for me to wait outside, will that be ok? he hummed, lifting his brow.p

"Yeah, sure! She nodded a little too enthusiastically. He loved exciting wholesome church-goers.p

Flashing his teeth as he turned to leave, a disturbing realization struck him. Maybe that's what his father thought when courting his motherPepito grimaced slightly as he made his way down the stairs, towards the student parking lot.p

There stood his nameless powder blue sedan, looking for all the world as if it were owned by a very busy, and very important business man. It was painfully obvious that he had not paid for the car himself, especially if one considered his lack of employment. Apparently that made it even cooler to have.p

Gently opening the car door, a reminiscent grin had replaced his normal default, hollow smile. Squee had always liked blue, no matter the shade. Though he personally found red to be a nice color on him too, Squee-

iNoTodd. Todd likes blue, and he doesn't like you./i Good mood ruined, Pepito slammed the door shut behind him. Jerking on the ignition and speeding out of the lot. p

His gear shifts remained stiff and agitated the entire drive home. He hadn't ever really liked Pepito to begin with, so in actuality he didn't lose his best friend. He never had one. iWas that a red light? Ah, who cares./i p

Not bothering to slow down, he swung into the drive way, jerking harshly on the e-brake. A trick Todd ahd showed him. It had once helped Mr. Edgar in some huge rush to the hospital or something. iStop thinking of himI have to focus on somethinganything else/i Pepito stumbled up the walk way, all the while repeating his mantra. iAnything elseanything else/ip

Falling against the front door he fumbled with the house key, Stupid fucking key He was surprised by how broken his voice came out.p

Just as he managed to shove the key in, the door fell out from under him. Taking a moment to gain back his balance, Pepito heard his mother before he even had a chance to see her.p

Oh, dearheart! What's wrong? Her distressed cooing was enough for him to cast a confused glance upwards.p

Honey, what's wrong? Did something happen at school? She leaned down to wipe his cheek.p

Tears? How long had he been crying? If his shaky hands were any indication it seemed it had been a while. p

Are you ok, dear? She did a once over, not seeing any obvious wounds on her son, Is Todd ok? p

That was all it took. Falling to his knees, he clutched to the hem of his mother's dress, a ragged sob tore from his throat. p

Why, madre? Why? I just-what did I doooo? Curling in on himself, Pepito continued an insconsistant slur of pleading questions. p

I don't underst-stand! He struggled to regulate his breathing, leaning into his mother's hands as she brushed through his short hair.p

Mrs. Diablo leaned down, gathering her little boy up in a tight hug before beginning to pull him to his feet.p

I know, baby, I know, she spoke softly, leading him towards the living room and onto the couch.p

Pepito followed blindly, never losing his hold on her, and pressed himself against her side, Mother, Ip

She waited patiently, rubbing between his shoulder blades and wiping a few more tears.p

I really thoughthe was my best friend, he sighed.p

Todd? Pepi, sweetie, is that all?p

Hea few years back wehe never really wanted to bep

Friends?p

yes.p

Oh, now baby, did little Todd tell you that?p

Yes. Pepito cringed at the obvious whine.p

Well that's just the biggest lie I've ever heard! Her tone had gone from concerned to definite amusement.p

Wha-p

Baby boy, you listen to me, His mother put on her best stern face, little Todd is the most stubborn, determined boy I have ever met, if he truly didn't want to be here, do you think he would? p

Uh he tried to corner his thoughts, form a sentence even. Oh, too late.p

Now, from my knowledge of little Todd, sweetie, he doesn't stay angry very long. If he's been angry at you all this time, either he still wants to be friends-p

iYeah, right./i He scoffed, about to throw a witty retort, but his mother beat him to it.p

-or you're just being dumber than a post, pumpkin-nose and there's something you're not getting.p

Mouth agape, Pepito could only stare at his mother completely deadpanned.p

Nowwas that all this was about?p

Iuhyeah I suppose sop

Oh, okay dearheart, then how bout you help me pick out tomorrow night's dinner? Oh, and you could drive me down to the store couldn't you? We could have a little shopping adventure! I was thinking of getting a new tableset.p

Uh huh, yeah mom, that'd be fun.p

Hearing the familiar phrase, new tableset' Pepito chose to tune out. He needed to mull over his mother's blatant wisdom for a while. A cold smack of reality had been delivered to the young anti Christand it had a southern drawl. p

Ever wonder what an excited crack addict on energy drinks looks like? Peter asked Todd off handedly, I no longer have to wonder. p

Haha, very funny! Todd knew he probably looked ridiculous, but he was so happy, he could care less. His new friend didn't seem to care too much either.p

So, what game system do you have again? Peter asked, taking in the road he had never seen nor heard of before.p

Every single one known to man, Todd recited Pepito's first observation on the new systems. p

Peter chuckled before asking, No, seriously which ones?p

No seriously, all of em, you name it we have it. p

Jeez! What's your dad do for a living?p

At first Todd was thoroughly lost. What would Nny have to do with gaming systems? Then it hit him. Money. Normal people got money through hard work and torturous work days. Pepito's mother had a job, sure, but Nny? Mr. Edgar? Mr. Diablo? Not really. Realizing Peter was still waiting for an answer Todd used his best attempt at the truth.p

Myuh, mom? Makes about three hundred thousand a month, so we have a lot of extra cash, I suppose.p

Three hun-dude. My dad's a cop, they make squat! Peter looked on, astonished.p

Yeahmymom's a CEO or something.p

Cool.p

Mm.p

They were almost home, and Todd felt less and less confident with every step. How would he explain this his imother/i was infact a Mr. Edgar, and his father, was covered in blood becauseheis a butcher? And likes to take his work home? Even that sounded overly creepy and suspicious.p

As they began the short walk up to the door Todd felt the rush increase in his brain. He reached out, grasping the handle and leaning slightly onto the door. With a pristine, white wash finish, four paneled window, and golden handle it was a horrible contrast with the old rotting house that Mr. Edgar vividly dreamed of painting one day. Nny wouldn't allow that dream to progress pas him buying the paint. Todd was never sure why.

Shrugging slightly he shoved the door open ready to shout I'm home! but stopped just short.p

Oh my god! He shrieked, back peddling as fast as his thin awkward legs would allow, bumping Peter out in the process. He then promptly slammed the door and whirled around to stare blankly at the street.p

Yeah, so my mom wants to plant some flowers out front eventuallyp

Todd threw his arms up against the door, in a useless 115 pound blockade, anything to keep that door closed. p

Peter cocked his head in confusion, simply humming a reply.p

i'Why is that Todd?' Oh, you know just to cover the buried corpses and hide their hideous stench'/i How he wished it had been a mutilated corpse in his living room instead ofp

Yeah! Anduhthat's my old house over there! WEuh, moved next door about nine years ago p

Again Peter merely hummed in response, glancing at the old house.p

Termites, you know. His forced laughter almost hurt. p

iWhy? Because it was a crime scene, that's all. My mom's probably still decaying in there!/i Even the horribly disfigured ghosts of his past parents would have been better thanp

So! It's uh, really cool you could come over to my house? Todd spoke a little too loud for a normal conversation, turning is head towards the door. He obviously needed to warn them iprior/i to opening the ifront door!/Ip

iWhy right there in the hallway!?/i Unwanted images sprang back with a vengeance, fresh in Todd's mind. Mr. Edgar was flattened against the wall, hand combing through dark blue hair, sporting a look of complete bliss, while Nny, his ifather/i, had pressed himself fully against the other; a firm grip laced on either side of Mr. Edgar's faceThe last and most trauma inducing detailtenderly locked together, sharing an obviously loving kiss. Todd was certain it was their first, and he had walked in on it, friend in tow.p

Desperately, he tried to hide his reddening face. Real, actually not hurtful affectionbetween his dad and hisdad- left Todd without a clue as to how he should be functioning. Theyreally loved each other? p

Edgar stood in the doorway to the kitchen staring at his handiwork. He'd gotten all of three stains off the counters and the floor. The dishes were done, he'd dusted the cabinets, and everything was in order. He'd even gone through the fridge and the pantry to see what it was that they needed from the market. He was planning on going later that day, but he liked to be there when Todd got home from school. He didn't like the idea of Todd showing up to an empty house right after school. He could always assume that Nny was in the basement but, there was always the possibility he was justgone. He didn't want to traumatize his son that way. p

He turned around and shuffled into the living room and found a floor that already needed sweeping again. That, and Nny had left a bag of chips open on the nice solid mahogany coffee table he'd purchased last month. He'd just polished that! The crumbs! iAnd now I have to vacuum the rug too/i Edgar thought woefully. He sighed and decided to check on the bathroom first, or maybe he would go find his co-parent and berate him. They'd of course had the argument before:p

iHow hard is it to put things away after you're done using them? Is it so impossible to /inoti get crumbs everywhere?

Well I'm sooorrrryyy, attention-WHORE, but not all of us count the crumbs on the carpet every time we eat.

I don't count them!

How many did I leave on the carpet?

SIXTEEN FUCKI- oh how I loathe you!/i p

Edgar shook his head and padded over to the hallway, running straight into the object of his thoughts. He opened his mouth and almost had the words out. Was it worth this argument? Was it worth the clenching of his heart at the use of the nick name he hated so? p

You know, if it wasn't for me, this whole house would have fallen apart! Edgar proclaimed arms in the air, I don't understand how you can just leave stuff out and p

You knowI just left that bag there a minute agoI was just coming back for it, Nny interjected, cocking his head to the side, Sorry to burst your endearingly neurotic bubbleI bet it's so clean in there, Nny cooed.p

Edgar felt his face flush as his words came out flustered, Youyou know it better damn would be!p

Nny laughed, leaning forward and cupping Edgar's face in his hands, But you're imy/i attention whorep

Those were the words, always, after a fight. If the insults grew more vicious, the yells less joking, angrier and angrier, leading to slammed doors and hands worn into bloody calluses from scrubbing away stains that didn't exist. Edgar would be sitting in the kitchen at the table, back to the doorway, glaring. A sing song voice would utter those affectionate words and a hand would slide across his shoulders and down one arm. That would be that, and suddenly the tension would diffuse and most probably, a family trip to the gas mart was in order. p

But this was different. Nny's eyes were rational, sane, but his smile was crazy, and suddenly a pair of thin lips were pressed against his. Loud, awkward kisses turned into slow, soft nibbling. Edgar found himself leaning against the wall with Nny aligning their bodies against each other. Edgar gently entangled his right hand into the shaggy blue locks of hair at the back of Nny's head. The kisses slowed, and slowed until inevitably they were standing there, bodies melted against each other, their lips touching but unmoving. Nny hummed, and his eyes fluttered open, looking up into Edgars. His mouth opened against his and he started to say somethingp

Oh my god! came a shriek, and the front door Edgar hadn't even noticed opened suddenly slammed shut again.p

Nny sprang away from him, whirled around to stare at the slammed door, and then his head snapped back, glaring at Edgar. He looked awkward for a moment, uncertain and nervousthe smallest of blushes tinged his cheeks and then they faded, replaced by a smirk Edgar knew all too well. His eyes turned teasing.p

You enjoyed that didn't you, Nny mocked.p

Edgar didn't have to think about it, he nodded, Yeah, he sighed, yeah I did. Butyou did too, so I don't feel bad. I'm going to clean the living room now.p

He turned and shuffled off to the living room, stooping down to pick up the bag of chips off the coffee table. Edgar waited for a retort, anything. But all he heard was the frustrated footsteps down the hall and the sound of the basement door opening and then slamming shut.

Author Note! Seriously. Do you want more Nny/Edgar?! Cus We're thinking of making it a common theme. Half PepSquee half NnyEdgar, since this is a sequel to JoL. It wont hurt the length of PepSquee, that I'll promise, its just... added bonus? Rational would love to write it anyways. Leave your much appreciated oppinion in a review or a pm, please.


	7. Chapter 7 I Held You

Department of Motor Vehicles  
Chapter 7 - I held you (in my car)

Todd had a knack for pushing past trauma inducing situations, and now sat on the ridiculously comfy couch, gaming it up with Peter. The possibly mind altering realization was momentarily forgotten in favor of a multi-player _shooter game_. One that he was unmercifully losing.

"Why do I suck at these so much?"

"Well…you do flinch every time you start shooting your own gun," Peter spoke, monotone while finishing off the last zombie menace for the level.

"I'm not extremely fond of the sound I guess," Todd shrugged, rummaging through the other games Peter had brought.

"Bad memory or something?" he was fiddling with the controller, practicing some cheat most likely.

"I dunno, really. I've had some pretty out there nightmares as a kid, could have been that I suppose."

"Hm, I think a lot of video games come from weird dreams," he barked a quick laught at the thought, "you should write some down, could make you some cash one day!"

"Yeah."

He never fully understood why, but something always told him to not do exactly that. He had spent quite a few days curled up on the bed, staring at dusty walls, watching little clips of memories flash by, mixing together, fading and jumping out once more. Sometimes it almost seemed as if they were teasing him, going just fast enough to recognize an image but no details. He saw tentacles, teeth, eyes, and other confusing things. The most frequent image was a skeleton shadow slipping over brightly colored walls, eyes gleaming. After years of trying to identify the figure, Todd had wished he hadn't.

Over the years Mr. Edgar had helped not only Nny's sanity but his general health as well. He was far from a 'normal, healthy build', but at least had enough body fat to hide _some_ bones. This Johnny was dried skin stretched taught over a malnourished frame, darkened bags caused his yellow eyes to bulge out. A psychotic aura leaked off of the man. One familiar phrase had rang out in his mind as the figure approached: The scary neighbor man!

Todd grimaced at the memory of his soon to follow breakdown, the picture had triggered. Really it hadn't been till later that the true memories came. _that's right…the park…we were at the park and he…he…?_ That was as far as Todd could ever get before tears began to well up. He wanted to know but something always-

"Gunna press start or just stare the console into submission?" Peter's happy tone jerked Todd out of his trance.

"Ah, sorry!" jamming his finger down on the 'start' button, he flopped back onto the couch, "What game?"

"Dude, how the hell would I know, you picked it." Studying the graphics, Peter chirped a happy reply, "Oh, this one must be yours! 'Cept…it looks pretty old."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's a vampire piggy game, one of the first."

Peter turned to grin at Todd, "Can't beat the classics, eh?"

His laughter was slightly delayed, something about the phrase seemed familiar. Choosing to brush it off he began to select his own character. There weren't many options on character design in old games but that was to be expected.

Soon as Peter finished his selection the game started. Todd found it impossible for anything to get to him when he had an actual friend sitting on the couch with him, playing video games and laughing so freely. Perfectly timed, as if to challenge Todd's resolution, Nny shuffled into the living room, probably having emerged from the basement fresh off a kill.

"Hey Squeegee! I was wondering and-" his dark eyes flitted to Peter before returning to stare at Todd, a look of realization hardened his features, a sharp grin spreading across his face. Before he could voice the supposed understanding Edgar entered the living room, nervously surveying the scene.

"So, Peter, are you staying over for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, thanks for the offer…er Mr. Casil?"

"**Edgar**, Edgar **Vargas**." Todd was fairly confused by the uncomfortable look that overtook Mr. Edgar after the simple clarification.

"Mr. Vargas, my mom wanted me home in time for dinner," Peter shrugged.

"Well, next time perhaps-" Edgar's friendly smile disappeared quickly at Nny's new body posture; crouched, shifting slightly, a preditor ready for the kill.

"Squeegee! You brought one home!" He cackled gleefully, "I knew you'd get the hang of it! I'll even help yo-"

"Anything you two need?" Edgar asked distractedly, pulling Nny backwards by his shirt collar.

"But, Edgar! Edgar, Edgar, he got it!" He shook Edgar vigorously before turning back to the two boys, "He needs help, I bet…"

The low mutterings proved just how far Nny had receded to his own thoughts, a dangerous place for him to be.

Todd froze as he watched Nny crouch and leap into the air claws reached out towards Peter's neck. _Move! Move, do something!_ he screamed at himself, _Move-_

Thwack!-thud.

Edgar stood over Nny's disoriented form, wielding a broom.

"Ah…you two have fun now." He stuttered, dragging the defeated maniac towards the back bedroom.

As the door closed behind them, Todd felt a very visible face tick. He did _not_ plan on opening any more doors on those two until knocking heavily on the wood first.

Edgar glared at the unconscious maniac on their bed. There was a rather impressive red mark on his forehead now that would probably develop into an embarrassing welt. Too bad for him. Nny was not ruining his son's chance at having a friend. Granted he should have seen it coming, Nny suspecting Todd of carrying on the family 'hobby'. Edgar was amazed that boy, Peter, hadn't run screaming from the house already. He was so casual, and accepting. Todd needed that. He was _not_ going to let Nny ruin that for him.

It didn't take long for Nny to come to, seeing as how much head trauma he'd experienced in his life. He gurgled pathetically, rubbing at his head and whining before rolling onto his side. Then, he lifted his head wearily off of the blankets and stared at Edgar, confused for a moment. His eyes narrowed until suddenly they widened and became alit with rage.

"Why did you stop me?!" Nny growled, "Squeegee's out there now, not a clue what to do with his first maggot of filth!"

"Peter isn't a maggot, Nny, he's Todd's _friend_," Edgar stressed, "Todd brought him home to hang out, not to kill him."

Nny blinked confusedly before saying, "Yeah, right."

"He did! They're having a good time, and Peter hasn't run away yet, this is what Todd's been needing!"

"Squeegee's just _fine_."

Edgar knew the warning in Nny's words. What Nny really meant was, 'there's nothing wrong with my son', like an unobservant soccer mom running for PTA. No one wants to think their child's messed up, or unhappy. Most parents _want_ their son or daughter to be happy. Nny was no different. As painful as it was for Nny to hear, he had to understand. Edgar stared the mad man down and shook his head.

"No, Nny, he's not fine," Edgar's words trailed off into a whisper, "he needs friends."

"No! No he doesn't! He's _fine_ Edgar! Not everyone needs _friends_ and happy little families and filthy, _normal_ lives like _you_!" Nny screeched.

"Nny, he doesn't need normal, I mean look what he grew up with!" Edgar retaliated, "But he does need someone, at least one person to be with that's not you, not me, he needs more than just parents."

"Why?! I never needed anybody and I turned out just fine!"

Edgar crossed his arms over his chest and waited, eyeing Nny incredulously.

"I don't! I don't need anybody! Don't give me that look Edgar!" Nny warned, shaking his fist, bottom lip curling up over his top in an indignant sneer.

"It doesn't matter, you're staying in here until Peter goes home, and you are not going to bug Todd about this," Edgar instructed, remaining standing rigidly in front of the door.

Nny turned around and darted for the window. Edgar flung himself forward with the ease and experience of someone who's gone after homicidal maniacs many times before. He grabbed onto Nny's ankles and caused him to fall down onto the bed, writhing and struggling to escape. Slowly Edgar forced his way up the bed until he was lying as deadweight on top of Nny to keep him in place. Nny cursed at him, squirming, and shrieking like a banshee. It was like he was throwing a tantrum, and in all honesty he was.

"Let me gooooooo!" Nny howled, "You infantile, disgusting degenerate sac of waste get off of me! I haate youuuuu!"

Edgar ignored him, looking off to the side at the dresser the three of them shared. For several minutes all he heard was the enraged din of the mad man he was holding down. Expletives, threats, and creative insults were hurled left and right effortlessly. Having heard the same thing or something close to it for the past nine years Edgar didn't really care enough to react. The main focus was keeping Nny there. But, out of the pandemonium beneath him, one phrase caught him so off guard all Edgar could do was laugh.

"Pay attention to meeeeeeee!"

Edgar's head snapped around on his neck to face Nny who was suddenly even more infuriated and an embarrassed flush had overtaken his cheeks. Edgar laughed so hard it was hard to remain relaxed enough to hold Nny down with his weight.

"Oh fuck youuuuuuuuuuu," Nny whined impetuously, "I hate youuu!"

Suddenly from the direction of the bedroom door Edgar heard his son's voice saying he'd be right back, he was driving Peter home. Edgar smirked triumphantly down at Nny as they heard car doors shut, the engine start, and soon the sound of the family car driving down the road. The main floor of the house was empty but for them. Edgar rolled off of his co-parent, sliding off of the bed and brushing himself off. Now, of course Nny was lying unmoving on the bed, defeated.

Turning towards Peter, Todd smiled lightly, "Want a snack?"

"Eh, sure."

He was so very thankful for Peter's willingness to not question and simply roll with the sporadic craziness of his house. It wasn't as if he was ignoring it but as if he simply accepted it and shrugged it off as normal.

Tossing the chips at Peter, he retrieved two fizz-wizs from the fridge.

"Here ya go."

"Thanks."

"So when's dinner? At your house?"

"Oh, hm, I should be home before seven. What time is it?"

"Ahh…6:45?"

"Crap! I can't even run home that fast," Peter seemed to mull something over, nursing his soda.

"I could give you a ride?" Todd offered.

"Thanks dude," he dusted his hands off, ridding it of the fire nacho cheese flavoring and turned back towards the living room, "lemme just grab my stuff."

Todd helped load the games back into Peter's backpack before walking down the hall to the bedroom door. Just short of rapping on the old wood he froze.

"I'm taking Peter home! Be right back!" he shouted, raised up on his toes before scurrying off to find the car keys.

Peter was already outside waiting next to the navy blue mini-mini-van. He had never been positive as to the type of car that sat in their driveway. It was a nice shade of blue, just short of metallic really. He had heard other people refer to the car's shape as a 'flea car', resting between an SUV and a minivan, it was the exact kind of car you would expect to see in the drive way of a fairly well to do family in a suburban cookie-cutter house. Almost a feminine car yet still okay for a guy to be seen driving.

Jerking the door open, Todd glanced up towards Peter.

"Cool, I didn't know you had your license."

"I don't," Todd slid into the driver's seat, gripping the wheel.

"Permit?" Peter followed suit after chucking his bag to the back seat.

"Nope." Todd turned the key in the ignition, listening as the newer car's engine thrummed into life, a gentle purr amidst the conversation in the air.

"Well…did you-ok," Peter dead panned. His father was a cop, how often did he get to do anything remotely illegal?

"Seat belt, Peter," Todd reminded, teasingly.

Todd didn't love driving really, he preferred to ride along and stare out the window. Cars allowed him time to think and strangely relaxed him, so he had to constantly remember to pay close attention to the road. He wasn't really worried about his driving ability, but the idiotic moves other drivers constantly made. Suddenly pulling out in front of an eighteen-wheeler, sure, talking on your cell phone and munching on a McMeatie, totally okay.

Right on cue a little Honda civic began merging to the left…towards a very surprised biker. Todd watched with mild interest as the bike veered and slowed down immensely, barely getting out of the way in time.

"What an asshole," Peter mumbled.

As Todd turned off the freeway, onto a much safer main street, memories of his driving lessons flooded back. Nny leaning forward, resting an elbow on his bony knee, hand jabbing an informative finger into Todd's view.

"Now Squeegee," he always began, "its ok to miss the lights! Lights are just a suggestion, and sometimes decoration depending on the color!"

Then at random intervals Nny would point avidly at some happening on the side walk. "Squeegee! Now those are the people you want to aim for!"

He had tightened his grip on the wheel in hopes of saving the woman's life.

At twelve Nny thought he was practiced enough to join him in one of his favorite driving activities: hitting school children on their way across crosswalks. Todd never thought of windshield wipers the same after that day.

After a quick goodbye to Peter, Todd turned back towards home. He missed a few lights.


	8. Chapter 8 In my arms

Department of Motor Vehicles  
Chapter 8. In my arms (the inflated airbag)

_Man I love the Internet._ Pepito hummed happily, swiveling back and forth in his comfy leather computer chair. He also loved staying home with an excused absence, even if it was only his mother taking pity on his pathetic depression.

Choosing to completely ignore the means that had justified this end, Pepito clicked on yet another Ebay member proclaiming, 'Soul for sale!!' Technically he was doing homework, just not of the designated school variety. After his little break down his father would probably want some kind of reason to be happy with him.

Pepito was always surprised it was as easy as clicking 'add to cart' to obtain a soul for, the sad attempt at a humerus price, six dollars and sixty-six cents. Even if they upped the price to 666, it wasn't like he was tapping into his own nearly non-existent funds. Why waste it when there was the never ending bank account of Hell Money? It was still a reasonable deal with The Devil, or in this case his son, considering it was a full consent sale, and open to any buyers.

_I think I know that kid..._ Pepito thought for a moment before pulling up a name to go with the picture. Some stupid druggie from his school, and with his life choices he had heard about, floating though the rumor mill, this kid would end up in hell anyways. He may as well get a few hundred to play with till then.

Upon hearing the dainty steps of expensive pumps on the just as expensive carpet outside of his door, Pepito clicked the windows down bringing up the minimized essay he had long ago turned in. Several soft knocks were followed by the ever energetic voice of his mother.

"Pepi, sweetie? I just came home to drop off Woofles," she eased the door open, smiling towards her presumably still sulking teen, "I have to get back to the office, so could you get her some lunch?"

"Yeah mom, no problem... I'm just finishing my essay now." he paused in his speech, feigning to rush through a concluding sentence, striking random keys. "Did she get a really short cut?" Pepito asked tentatively, not wanting to let on that he cared how his dog looked, but knowing it was useless.

"I made sure to tell them not too short, dear heart." His mother cooed before giving a tight wave, and leaving the door open.

His mother's presence reminded him, yet again, that he should be plotting, how could he get Todd to be his friend again? But... as much as he tried, he just couldn't think of anything yet. Time, he needed time to think it all over, and that was just all there was to do for now. Wait.

Pepito sat slumped in the chair, waiting until he was sure her car had pulled away before heaving himself towards the door. Gripping the frame he peered down the hall towards the top of the stair case, "Woofles!! Here girl!" he yelled with unnecessary volume.

The definite sound of trimmed claws scurrying across the kitchen floor had him shuffling down the stairs, meeting his excited canine at the bottom.

"Hey girl, look how pretty you are! And mom had them paint your nails!" He laughed happily at the pink, flashy nails.

Tongue lolling to the side, she smiled affectionately up at him, cheering his foul mood instantly. Pepito had never really minded how overly girly his dog was, thanks to his mother. Being a duck-tolling retriever, her hair already needed a high maintenance care to keep her from shedding everywhere, and it always made his mother happy.

Reaching downwards. He hauled the full grown dog up into his arms with a grunt. "Lets get you some food, huh?" He was answered by a happy bark.

It was over two weeks before Pepito received the long anticipated epiphany. Todd wanted to be normal. He'd been complaining abut it since they had gotten into 5th grade! He had an oddly constructed family, (had) a demonic best friend, deceased parents and everyone at school always hated him. Plus the boy had horrible luck, but there wasn't too much Pepito could do to prevent that... though he could help clean him up afterwards. It really would be a horribly difficult task, almost impossible for a normal teen, but he was going to try it. He was going to help Todd be popular!

... or at least less despised.

Memories were great things, and Todd loved having them, but some things were better left buried deeply in the subconscious. Your parents making out being one of those said memories. Todd didn't flinch when Nny happened to brush against Mr. Edgar on his way to the other side of the room, or feel any more uncomfortable than he had before when they, all three, clambered into the shared bed at night. He didn't even mind how overly happy they both seemed as of late, and it was all thanks to repression.

Pushing the half eaten remains of his mashed potatoes and peas around on the new set of china, Todd ignored the friendly dinner banter his two fathers were passing back and forth. He was far too busy worrying about the ever so important event approaching much faster now that he knew he would be attending.

Todd cringed as a freshly acquired memory, one he had yet to repress, began to surface.

First Pepito had brought it up as a general topic during dinner, waving his fork vaguely as he described how anxious his girlfriend, Amanda, was about her dress. He had chuckled with the others at the table about how glad he was for the easy attire required of boys. Then he had brought up the big game, Homecoming game, and how cool it was we were playing it as a home game. When you consider Nny's past, or what he barely remembered of it, it was no surprise he had tensed at the mention of a football game. Cheerleaders, football jocks and loud obnoxious crowds didn't exactly bring back fun times of Johnny C.'s high school years. Pepito took no notice, plowing through the pause in conversation to get to his point.

"So Todd, going to the game?" He flashed what surely could not have been just an innocent, questioning smile. There had to be a wicked scheme or cruel joke coming.

"I don't th-"

"Oh now, Pepi, what a great idea! Now Todd, dear, I'm already driving Pepito and his little girly to the game, don't you dare say you already have a ride!" Mrs. Barbara playfully scolded.

"N-no actually I was just-"

"Well now, Edgar we could always drop the boys off and head over to that new restaurant in town! I hear they have a fillet Mignon to die for, and _good_ service. As opposed to the rest of the restaurants in town, right dear?" Quickly switching the focus from the two boys back to 'adult talk'. Todd was left to stare down at his plate, twitching and worrying, much like he was now.

Maybe Peter will take pity on me and come too... Going to such a horribly terrifying thing as Homecoming game night, with people like Pepito and his girly was just too much stress for his already feeble body to handle.

"May I be excused." Todd blurted out the question, though it was more of a statement, standing quickly and staring down, waiting for an acknowledgment.

"Sure? Are you ok? You've been pretty twitchy for the past few days here..." Mr. Edgar furrowed his brow, now the one waiting on a reply. But as Todd only seemed to flounder for answers as several minutes, he realized it was not going to be as short a wait as he had hoped. "Homework?" He offered an excuse up for the teen.

"Yes! Lots, that's all, I better go get started." Todd scrambled from the kitchen, grateful that Mr. Edgar didn't seem to mind he hadn't headed for his backpack, but instead to the bedroom.

Flopping down on the bed, Todd let out a long groan, hoping that maybe, just maybe, if he focused hard enough he could force himself into a coma till after this whole homecoming mess was done with.

Well, at least he isn't dragging me to the dance too... Todd rather enjoyed clinging to the last hopes of a silver lining when it came to Pepito. But with how persistent he, and his mother, were being he could only be half certain he wouldn't suddenly be jerked into a tux and thrown into the lion's den.

Maybe it wasn't as bad of an idea as Mr. Edgar thought; Nny giving him a weapon...


	9. Chapter 9 When I Awoke

* * *

Dream With Me  
Ch 9. When I awoke (The car had crashed....)

_Ok, so maybe I hadn't thought this all the way through.... _Pepito finally managed some formation of thoughts, paralyzed in his safe haven above the grizzly scene below. This party was seriously over....

He knew this was his fault and that made it all the more enjoyable; watching his idiotic friends get the shit kicked out of them by two 'fags'. In fact, it would have been down right hilarious had it not been for the fact that this was his wonderful plan backfiring the hell out of his face.

Pepito cringed as a chair collided with the wall just below his crouched form, solidifying his thoughts on the party. _Definitely didn't think this through._

_

* * *

_

Once he got over the fact that the players consisted of boys he had received continuous harassment from, Todd found he rather enjoyed watching football. ...Ok so that was a dirty lie. He found it all trivial and just plain stupid. He also didn't love sitting on cold metal, on a chilly fall night, surrounded by Pepito's idiotic friends.

The car ride over had consisted of Amanda talking at Pepito about... well he wasn't quite sure exactly, having tuned out after the 6th 'and like'.

He managed to hide himself behind a wall of apathy all the way to the stadium, thankful that Barbara seemed too busy either watching the road or playing with the radio to talk to him. Alas, his wonderful mask was ripped away, just before he could reach the bleachers.

Pepito's friends had hailed them over, hooting a mixture of greetings and profanity, but had all rapidly fallen silent upon spotting Todd.

He could read it all over their faces. "Isn't that the weird kid?" Several reasons were sure to follow as to why he was said 'weird kid'. _Why, oh why did I agree to this!?_

"Hey guys! So... hows the team look tonight?" Pepito flashed a very toothy, overly confident smile, and it was all too obvious, by the others' reactions, just what the confidence really was.

"Yeah, they're looking fucking great, dude!"

"You gotta watch Chesner warm up!"

"Hey Pepito, you look pretty good yourself!" One of the shorter females crooned, "Why don't you ever wear that shirt?" She whined, tugging lightly at his sleeve.

Good distractions perhaps, but Todd had a good guess there was a bit of dark persuasion in those disguised eyes.

"Actually its new." Again, a wide spread smile, as he slowly draped an arm over Amanda's slender shoulders, herding the group towards the bleachers.

State of apathy completely dissolved, Todd began to notice Amanda for the first time. It wasn't hard to spot that she was a very pretty girl. Straight brunette hair, and large, dark blue eyes on a lean figure; she had a petite look to all of her features. Really, it was too bad she was so thin. It caused her to look a little sickly and frail. Not that he was one to talk.

For the sake of that little scrap of self respect he would be left with after the night's end, Todd chose to ignore just how similar their figures were as far as frailty, as well as width, were concerned.

The group slowly settled into their seats , fairly close to the field, giving Todd a chance to scan over the new faces. There were four girls in all, including Amanda, who was currently seated next to Pepito. Two very blond and very thin girls screaming loudly at, what Todd assumed were, their boyfriends as well as players on the field. Last was a thicker red headed girl, though no where near fat he guessed she would say otherwise, just by the small interactions he had heard of those kinds of girls in class. Still, she seemed rather familiar, and he couldn't help but feel it wasn't in the best of terms that they had met. When Todd stopped to think about it, so was Amanda, and the shorter of the two blonds. Did he have a class with them all?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he continued in his inspection. The boys brought the group up to a total of 10 teens, not counting himself since... really he was more of a stranger plopped in the middle of this crowd, and therefor stranded smack dab in the middle of pure, cliqued teenage socialites. Two boys, the largest of the group and most likely in some form of sports, were standing to Todd's left, yelling up the bleachers at several other teens while a third was desperately trying to hold the attention of the red headed girl. (and failing) Directly in front of the red head sat Pepito; Amanda to his right, along with the two blonds. On Pepito's other side were two boys, hunched over their laps, seemingly deep in conversation.

As one of the conversing boys flipped open a cell phone, the other turned to yell at Pepito, as the bleachers were steadily increasing in volume._ OH, you have got to be kidding me!_ Suddenly Todd realized just where the familiar faces had originated from. They were the exact same group he had embarrassed Pepito in front of nearly a month ago! This... if anything would prove just what Pepito's intentions were, this was it. He was going to crush Todd once and for all using his social circle as his own personal arsenal!

But as the boy's eyes swept over Todd, there was no sign of recognition... nor had there been for Amanda, or any of the others. No one had said anything yet, so maybe he was safe for the time being.

Todd flinched slightly as the crackling speakers stormed to life, announcing the start of the game along with the names of the players and their corresponding numbers. The screaming girls to his right were definitely not helping his nerves. He stood as the others did, though he wanted nothing more than to melt through the seats, away from the intense commotion.

Football games were loud... very loud. He would have thought the screaming would have at least lessened over time, but if anything it seemed they only grew louder, climbing in decibels by the minute.

Their team was down by 7 and needed to secure the first down... whatever that meant, Todd wasn't quite sure. At halftime Pepito was chosen as the food runner, and after collecting cash along with orders he was off to the concession stand. Todd felt that many more anxieties begin to creep up his spine as the cause for his stress dissipated into the crowd. Had he been helping him calm down? Todd remembered Pepito practicing stress release tactics on him when they were younger. It had always been rather useful for focusing during those tough tests.

He slowly became aware of several sets of eyes on him. The familiar boy leaned towards him, though keeping a reasonable distance.

"You're that one kid, aren't you?"

_Pretty vague there, smart guy. _Todd thought cynically.

"The one with the fag-dads?" He waited a second before wrinkling his nose.

Todd felt the color leaving his face as his eyes instinctively adverted to his lap. _S-should I lie?_

"Wait, what? Really?" The red head whipped around, much to the distaste of her current courter, "Whats he doing here?"

He had been wondering the same thing all night.

A hand brushed his shoulder lightly, several blond hairs came into view as a girl shouted in his ear over the loud half time band, "Come to check out the hot guys in tight pants? I know that's why I came!" She giggled shrilly, glancing around at the others, hoping they had heard her witty remark perhaps.

Instantly his pale cheeks lit up, a deed red spread quickly over his face. He knew full well it wasn't a question but his brain still rapidly searched for an answer. Internally struggling to get out an, 'I- I...I... Uh-' His eyes flew wildly around the group, avoiding to rest on a single face... afraid of the looks he would see. Oh he just wanted to be home, safe and away from these people!

Todd finally found his response...._ Pepito._ He was back from the stand and was handing out the snacks in accordance to their orders. He was glancing around at his ever giddy friends, wearing a look of amused confusion.

"Whats so hilar-IE-ous?!" He fumbled to keep a hold on the last two sodas as Todd rushed past him, nearly sending him careening down the over crowded bleachers. "Todd?!" Looking back at the group, they seemed just as confused; Amanda shrugging towards him.

_Well shit... what now?_

Handing off the drinks, Pepito clambered over the other game watchers, rushing after his very unstable ex-friend.

* * *

Todd slumped heavily against the chain linked fence, wrapping his jacket tighter around his shaking shoulders. He was glad to have worn his warmest one... though that didn't mean much. All of his clothing was more appropriate as summer wear.

Rubbing harshly at his eyes, he tried to withhold the tears threatening to spill out of his widened eyes. Todd kicked at a nearby stone, he felt slightly awkward in the crouched position.

"Is this Karma coming after me?" He asked the stone harshly. _More like a vengeful demon.... _

As his horrid offender approached, Todd brought down his hands. Leaning defensively into the fence supporting his sullen form, be braced himself for the following remarks. The hateful tone, and, worst of all, what was sure to be a barrage of smug looks; Todd knew he couldn't prepare for them all... but he could fight fire with... well, what was sure to be equivalent to a cigarette lighter in comparison.

"You've made your point, ok? Leave me alone," Todd shuddered once more as another gust of wind chilled him.

"...Todd?" The voice was low, and soft... too soft to be trusted. He knew that for sure, yet he felt his muscles relax slightly, against his own will. "Point? What are you talking about? What's wrong?" He sounded like he was looking at a wounded animal. Except he wouldn't think the Anti-Christ would feel too much compassion towards a wounded beast.

Shrugging off the calm sensation, Todd forced his face to harden once more, "B-bullshit, Pepi!" He spat, "Why'd you have to drag me here!? I already was leaving you alone!"

"Don't you get that that's not what I wa-!"

"No I don't get it, but neither do you! I don't **want **to be around you! How can I be clearer!?"

"Can't you just tell me whats so wrong, Ami-" He snapped his mouth shut on the overly friendly term, it was a smart move for how Todd was currently positioned... ready to attack. Pepito choked out a strained, "Please?"

"Why!? Its not like you give a shit! You're probably laughing right along with them! Oh, haha, the gullible **fag** was _**forced **_here!" He leaned so far forward, he now balanced on the balls of his feet.

"Oh come on, you know I don't-"

"I don't _know_ anything about you anymore! And I _don't want to!_ I just want to go home!"

"Fuck, you know what? Fine! GO! Do whatever you want **Todd**, I tried to help you out, but you're just a whiny little bitch!"

For what he hoped was the last time tonight Todd felt his face redden at the insults, "HELP me!? How in _God's _name is this helping me?!" He did know exactly what he was doing. One thing he remembered perfectly throughout the years is Pepito's tendency for rather volatile reactions when it came to the deity's name.

Twisting his head roughly to the side, Pepito ground his teeth as a low, throaty growl escaped. But he quickly returned his new intensified gaze towards Todd once more. _Yep, there they are._ Those bi-colored eyes leaking out from under their brown replicas.

"Popularity, Todd... normality, was it?" The young teen's movements became that of a skilled predator, pacing tight, rough circles, "I thought thats what you wanted? ...Those kids out there?" A slow grin crept over the Anti-Christ's still reddened face, "They **are **normal, Todd. Some of the best examples for it.... I would know, after all..." Todd felt his muscles tighten, frightened, as the malicious grin grew far too feral, "...it is kinda my job. Right _Squeegee_?"

The name, the tone, and the obvious taunting for him to attempt to fight back had Todd shaking with rage... or was that terror? Still he begged his muscles to move, struggled desperately to summon the will to attack Pepito. Be it verbal, physical, mental; anything would do as long as he moved.

_A punch to the face would be fun. _Todd was slow to admit it... painfully so, but he couldn't think of why he could reasonably be angry with Pepito if it was all true. But he still didn't like those friends back in the stands.

It didn't matter, really, Pepito's delusional plan aside, he couldn't face them again! Thinking back, their comments hadn't even been too horrid.... He didn't have any better reason for not wanting to return than the simple fear that they would turn to cruel teasing if given any more time to think.

The whole huge crowd thing wasn't exactly a bonus either.

"...So what...? You thought you'd just decided to throw me in at random? Hoping they'd accept a horribly foreign _thing_ like me?" He scoffed, slumping forward, Todd lowered himself in a subdued fashion.

"Ok... I'll admit it wasn't my best idea," Pepito huffed, releasing a slight amount of tension, but still pacing. "But with someone as... **unwilling** as you, my options are minimal!"

Left with no want to reply, Todd simply fell back on his fencing, glaring up at the other in almost a teasing manner.

"Well... I know the girls can be real bitches, but those boys are _idiots. _Its not that hard to fool them, and for the most part they all leave you alone!" Pepito paused as if expecting some sort of response from the limp form at his feet. "...If you decide to grow a pair, you know where I'll be."

With that he left, brusquely turning the corner, heading towards the bleachers once more.

Todd glanced at the cell phone he had been clutching tightly throughout the argument. He noted, displeased, that it had been tight enough to hurt once he had let go. It was a simple flip phone, silver and bland, but was mostly just a temp till he decided to get off his butt and pick one out from the store.

Avoidance; that's what this was all about.

Jerkily, he shifted as if making a move to stand, only to slump once more. _I have a pair... _He thought bitterly. With the last inner retort made, for now, Todd gripped the chain link, hoisting himself upwards and onto his feet. Maybe if he pretended he hadn't even heard the comments from before. He had just really needed to use the bathroom. No that sounded gross.... He had sprinted for candy? _'Oh, yeah, I'm a diabetic! Blood sugar was acting up... too much insulin, you know!' I'm sure that would go over great...._

Slumped over still, he shoved his hands firmly into his jean pockets, a slightly happy swish to his walk, Todd was deep in thought once more.

* * *

Whether Todd came back or went crying home to his daddies made no difference. Pepito was determined to have a good time.

Hiding a sullen scowl behind his practiced 'mildly amused' mask, he contemplated setting one of the players on fire. He also was contemplating how everyone would explain away a 'spontaneous combustion.' Of course he would aim for the other team. Pepito enjoyed winning, even if it was in a strange, round-about and completely detached sort of way.

His friends had been all too happy to believe Todd had received an 'urgent phone call' and ran to catch it. It also nicely covered all bases since Todd may not return, it _was_ an emergency, but if he did come back he could call it a false alarm.

Pepito wasn't really foolish enough to think Todd was coming back, but after questioning Amanda, he had heard the conversation that caused Todd's ill attitude. If she had been telling the truth (and yes, he had made sure of it) then they really hadn't been all that bad! In this particular crowd it was considered a near friendly teasing! Making fun of one another was a conversation must for them. But he also realized that Todd didn't know anything about his friends. Had the tantrum outside really just been a case of culture shock, or was he over simplifying something?

Pepito felt himself startle as the buzzer rang out; the game was over. Still no sign of Todd. He hadn't expected much else.

As he followed the others out, all smiles and laughter, Pepito barely heard the conversation as it transpired around him. But as they reached the parking lot a certain voice caught both his and the rest of his friend's attention.

Todd had wormed his way into the group as they exited, and was sporting a box of candies.

"After party?" He playfully popped several candies into his mouth.

That was definitely something Pepito had always loved about Todd. His ability to throw on his peppy, upbeat and bubbly, if not a little sarcastic, visage.

"Hey man, how'd that _important phone call go?_" He stressed his words, hoping Todd would pick up on his hint.

"Uh, oh... it was nothing much." Todd seemed to struggle with the idea of accepting his story. "Just got held up. Long line at the concession." He shrugged, tapping a free finger against his candy box.

There was something like a unanimous shrug that the group participated in right along with Todd's. They had bought it.

Problem managed, he felt himself slipping out of his attentive state. _Should I stay focused on this? Todd's fine for now... isn't he? _It was probably for the best that he stay alert so as to keep Todd out of any future trouble.

"...meeting up there, so we should prolly head out."

"Who's driving?"The tall blond girl quipped, also signaling it wasn't her.

"Not it!" Cried out the other girls as well as one of the boys.

By 'driving' they also meant drinking the least and getting everyone home from the party in one piece. When no one seemed to be volunteering, Pepito grunted out a displeased, "Alright!" Much to his girlfriend's own displeasure.

"But I didn't drive here. Who brought their car?"

Once they had coordinated 10 teenagers legally into a five seater jeep (ok, so three girls were in the passengers seat... and two boys in the back trunk... and 4 in the back seat.... It was close enough to legal) the difficulty of finding the party through shoddy, half-assed directions began.

A half an hour late arrival wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and Pepito had wanted to skip the retelling-of-the-game sequence of the party anyways. He was impressed by the rate of turn out, seeing nearly 17 people outside around the pool he could gage at least 30 people inside the rather large house.

His friends gradually slipped off for activities upstairs, food and drinking games, leaving him alone with Jeff and Carlos to meander about. Todd was, amazingly, talking to other people and Pepito felt confident enough to leave the boy be. Besides, he saw a beer-pong match underway that he just had to get in on.

Todd had been fine when a few people were drinking... it was gross but expected. He had remained indifferent towards the mass sexual interaction everywhere he looked. Hell, he had even feigned interest in the horrid music! But this was just a little too much....

"No really that's ok, I really don't- ack!" He struggled to catch his footing as the girl gave a rather forceful tug on his belt loops. Naomi, as she had deemed herself not even 5 minutes prior, had been attempting a fast access into his pants for... well, you know.

"Oh come on, Tommy!" The girl giggled, a drunken slur running her words together.

_Oh, nothing sexier than a girl who can't remember your name after 5 minutes. _

Grabbing her hands, Todd managed to maneuver himself off of the couch, releasing her and running for the door.

"Jerk!" She yelled, but even this was a rather casual slur, followed by giggles.

Jogging to the side of the house, Todd was met with the pool goers. Half clothed and even more hammered, if possible. From what he gathered, two of the thinner, prettier girls were claiming the title 'Queens of the hot tub' together, allowing only certain members to enter if they performed stunts correctly.

One boy had been instructed to chug some bottle... Todd wasn't sure what was in it, but from everyone's cheers and amazed faces, he'd guess it wasn't an easy swallow. After climbing into the hot tube he raised a hand slowly, waiting to be called on by a 'Queen'.

"What cha want Yacob!?" One giggled loudly.

"If I leave the hot tub... can I get back in again?"

"Only if we vote you back!" The other girl teased.

Todd watched as Yacob hurtled out of the tub, diving behind a bush and, if the hideous noises were any indication, emptied the contents of his abused stomach. Ready to wretch himself, he turned to leave only to come face to face with the red head from the game. Her fierce eyes were softened, hazed over, and the intimidating focus was gone completely from her presence.

"How ye'doin, Gay-bo?" She snorted softly, "Nah m'jus playin."

Todd couldn't hold back his offended scowl, but didn't move to leave her.

"Here... s'good stuff here...." She cocked her body to the side, pointing (almost) in the vicinity of her current drink. "Here...." she repeated herself, thrusting the glass up to Todd's lips.

Not having the best reaction time, the liquid quickly flooded his mouth, throat swallowing on instinct. The harsh burn caused him to sputter, dribbling slightly.

"Ugh!"

"Notta drinker huuu?" She whined. "Mmm... the pools pretty cool...." Brushing past Todd, she headed towards the Queens, possibly to challenge their ruling in her drunken state.

_THAT was also not ok!! _Todd coughed heavily, he had thoroughly had his fill of this place! _Pepito... ride home, he's my ride home! _

Picking his gate up to a jog, Todd entered the house once more, asking around for his ride.

"Pepito? Nah man haven't seen him?"

"Who...? Oh! He went upstairs with Manda, duh!"

Upstairs he went, pausing in front of the first door to give a hesitant, "Hello?"

The only answer being a very feminine, "Oh, God yes!"

When no painful yelps followed the exclamation, Todd thought it was safe to assume it wasn't Pepito in there. Several doors later he had narrowed it down to the bathroom or this last bedroom. He really didn't want to try the bathroom, so all other options first.

Pushing the door open slightly, Todd barked out a harsh, "Pepito?"

Silence followed, but as he pressed his nose inside the room. There on the bed was Pepito on all fours, hunched over Amanda, though both had their heads directed towards him, both with very strange, mixed emotions playing across their faces.

"Oh uh, uh!"

"We're a little busy here, dude!" Amanda finally snapped, obviously not willing to let go of her soon-to-be prize.

"S-sorry!" Slamming the door closed, Todd ran out towards where they had parked, jerking out his cell phone for his last emergency choice. His parents.

* * *

Pepito stared out from in between the pickets of the banister, unsure of who to focus on: Todd cowering behind the overturned couch, Edgar knock-out punching drunken teenagers, or Nny single handedly bringing down the worlds population, yet again.

_Ok so maybe I hadn't thought this all the way through...._


	10. Chapter 10 I was Mistaken

Dream With Me  
Ch 10. Dear, I was mistaken (it was only a pit stop)

Pepito didn't know the name of the girl grinding against him, but he didn't really care too much. He knew that it wasn't Amanda; she'd been avoiding him since the night of the party where she'd watched ten of their mutual acquaintances get brutally slaughtered. Funny how that could have such an effect on someone. From what he'd heard she might be in an asylum by the end of the week.

Something was breaking through the daze…what was that noise? Or the lack thereof…the music had disappeared. His eyes opened and he let go of the nameless girl. She stepped away from him and looked around with the other multitude of confused teens. But then, he saw it, his worst nightmare.  
"Alright, now that the hideous excuse for music is off," Barbara's sweet no-nonsense voice echoed from the microphone, "do any of you darling children know where my baby Pepito is? He was supposed to be home tonight but I think he snuck out to the dance anyway."

Pepito stared at his mother in horror. The kids around him were snickering at him and backing away from him. Barbara's eyes found him and she smiled in that way that foretold immense misery and anguish. She thanked the 'sweetest little kids that were most certainly not disobeying their parents like little Pepi was', and stepped down from the stage where the music had been emanating. The clot of teenagers parted before her, scattering away like cockroaches. She drew him into her arms and cooed at him. His face was scarlet he knew. He tried to shove her away and eventually she did draw away, but only to slap him.

"Now, now, Pepi, it is _not_ nice of you to push away your mother like that, let's go," she frowned reproachfully.

A moment later she looked over Pepito's shoulder and called, "Juan, dear, I found him!"

"Oh, good job Barbara," his father, 'Juan' answered, striding forward in his overly average business suit and combed-over hair style.

Pepito wilted, suddenly wishing to sink into the earth and rot. His parents wrapped their arms around him and led him out of the school's gymnasium that was all too silent. But as soon as they reached the end of the hall and rounded the corner, laughter burst forth louder than he'd heard in a long time. Every callous chuckle, crow, and muffled giggle cut through him like a razor blade and he knew, he _knew_ just how much he would have to do to regain his standing when he returned to school on Monday. What was worse? He could feel his powers that enabled him to erase memories, to persuade and charm leave him, within his father's possession until further notice.

"Mom, I'm-"

"Oh save your breath, pumpkin-nose, Mommy doesn't really care about your feelings right now," Barbara chirped, somehow the sound of her fashionable pumps clicking on the linoleum the most terrifying sound he could imagine.

* * *

Todd was surprised that Pepito had the nerve to face him after the horrific evening they had technically shared. But it did give him the proper chance to cuss him out and call off the idiotic deal between them. Really, what had he been thinking?! A deal with the son of Satan? In what way was that _not_ a bad idea? He couldn't help the small fear for the safety of his soul... relatively speaking.

After slumping out of the family car, that he had begged Edgar to let him use regardless of this strange new pronouncement of being 'grounded', Todd took a moment to collect himself. Traipsing up the narrow walkway, cutting across the pristine yard, he made his way towards the door. What exactly had he wanted to say? _Hmm... guess I can make it up as I go.... _With Pepito, he liked to have a plan of attack, preventing him from ranting.

He sighed before taping lightly on the door. Not surprisingly seconds later Mrs. Barbara, who seemed to have been waiting for him to knock, swung the door wide.

"Oh dearheart, I am just so glad you came on over!" She pulled him into a quick, loving embrace. "I am just so sorry Pepi drug you to such an awful party! I'm sure he didn't know what sorts of things would be going on." Along with the out of character, ignorant remark came a sarcastic slant of her eyes, showing she was well aware of her son's habits.

"I hope Nny and Mr. Edgar weren't too upset with it, now."

"Oh..." Flashes back to the party two days ago had Todd wincing under his godmother's gaze. "Not really...."

Todd wasn't so sure he should hold up the lies with Mrs. Barbara, recognizing the all knowing eyebrow raise.

"Yeah, a bit, but they're doing better about it."  
Except for the fact that Nny hadn't been out of the basement for two days, and he knew it would be a few more before the man would come stalking out, ready for one of his increasingly rare showers.

After they had all piled out of the dead silent car ride, Todd had dumbly thought the house would hold a much more comforting air. Once inside, Nny had paced. Oh the horrible pacing, cussing, and ranting had all been rather insulting towards Todd. Edgar had sat stiffly on a nearby couch, looking none too pleased. With what exactly was anyone's guess considering just how much he hated conflict. Mr. Edgar tended to wall himself up whenever it did rear its ugly head. After a solid hour of Nny's shrieking he had retreated to take out his anger on something Edgar didn't like. Todd couldn't help but pity the very unlucky something.

It wasn't the first time Todd felt the tension between him and his 'father'. After all he was still that terror from his childhood, minus a few bad habits and a good amount of 'training' added on. Nny had brought him in to the house in a way, but only with Mr. Edgar's guiding hand. If he had never met the man there was no doubt in his mind that his first set of guardians would have wrecked him far past repair. Then again if Nny had been without Mr. Edgar in the process of raising him... Todd was also rather certain he wouldn't have lived past the age of 10.

"Well," Mrs. Barbara seemed quick to pick up on Todd's hesitance. "Pepi's up in his room. On a strict 'no friends' sentence, but of course you're ok to go on up." She chirped happily, turning to clack across the hall in her high class heels. Mrs. Barbara always had nice shoes. He heard her stop short in the living room, possibly alerted to his own non-movement.

"Ah… Mrs. Barbara?" Todd called out, taking a few steps in her direction.

"Yes Todd?" A warm smile emanated towards him even through the wall.

"Did Pepito enjoy homecoming?"

"He enjoyed the first half, I'm sure. Before his father and I escorted him out." There was a stiff motherly tone to her voice.

"...hm." Todd couldn't help but smile, turning towards the stairs, "Hey Peeepi!"

* * *

_Oh how I loathe that fucking tone...._

Pepito rolled over on his bed and sat up to stare straight at his door.

"Hey TODD, so glad you could come!" His volume matched the others though he could hear him already just outside his bedroom.

_Deep breaths, your cool, its cool. Don't let him get you riled up....Who says riled up anymore?_

"So! How was the dance, you ass?" Todd's sarcastic smiling face appeared in his doorway, shortly followed by the rest of his gangly body.

"Wonderful," He purred, returning the smile.

"Really?" Todd raised a hand to his chin, a puzzled look coming over him, "Even the part where your mommy escorted you out?" His smile came back tenfold as he made his way fully into the room, surveying the scene despite the lack of change.

"Even then...." Pepito rushed to think of another, not as annoying, topic that wouldn't offend Todd. He just wasn't in the mood for a 'round two' of the argument over the party.

Friends... he wanted to be friends with this boy. Why exactly?

Before he had the chance to fully contemplate the matter, Todd loosely dropped down onto 'his' beanbag chair. Really Pepito never used the old thing, and none of his friends ever sat in it. He could have tossed it years ago....

"Or was it the part where Amanda didn't show up?"

"Er...." That seemed a little out of character for Todd... how would he have know that? He didn't remember telling his mom.

"Now what could have caused that?"

"Uh, your psycho parents maybe!?" Pepito huffed, lunging off the bed. "They slaughtered a good 10 kids! Who called them, Todd? Was it me?" He was already regretting the insult on Todd's fathers... it was far from the safe topics he had been plotting a course towards.

"You left me no other option! Too busy literally fucking around!"

"Just because I'm not an agoraphobe that can't get the literal version doesn't mean you have to attack me for it! Just because I'm not some little fucking f-" Friends!! I do not want to go here. He isn't like those teens. These insults actually mean something to him... and he won't just take a few swings at me to get over it.

"What Pepito...? You're not some little fucking what?" He was quiet, daring him to finish the sentence with every inch of his being.

"So how did Nny like that alcohol on your breath?" He mused, crossing his arms fluidly.

"I... that was a- a mistake. I don't... you know I don't... I didn't drink."

"Sure did smell like it."

"It was that chick! She practically threw it all over me!"

"Right," He brushed it off. After all it was most likely true. "But what did Nny think about that?"

He only felt his confidence boost as Todd grew silent, his attack backfiring on him. Pepito already knew through the gossip chain just how the boy's 'father' was taking things. He had overheard his mother talking with Mr. Vargas over the telephone. Not exactly a great reaction, the 'Poor dear' had holed himself up in the basement for the past few days, refusing any contact. Even any with his supposed spouse, Pepito had always had a bit of difficulty understanding the two together. They seemed so... distant. Johnny wasn't the nicest to begin with, but Mr. Edgar always took it... most of the time with a smile. He doubted he could ever put up with that, someone constantly treating him like shit. _Wait, stay focused. Todd. Todd...._

Even without knowing prior to the family's reaction, he would have been able to guess just by Todd's body language. Home didn't seem to be the most comfortable place to be right now. It may have been an overly manipulative tactic, but Pepito was running out of energy for their constant quarrels so underhanded methods were starting to sound like his best option.

If Todd was feeling odd at home, a phase almost every teenager goes through at least once, perhaps this was his chance to ease into at least a grudging share of company. One without the purpose of increasing his placement in the social ladder.

"Hold on Todd, my dad wanted my help downstairs," Pepito slipped out the door, pausing to glance back inside, "got some new games." He nodded towards the TV, curtly closing the door behind him before padding off down the hall.

It wasn't planned out yet, but if he left and let Todd cool off then he might have a chance for getting him to relax. He had realized something after his mother's rather blunt pep-talk. No matter how much Todd screamed and yelled, or claimed to hate it here... he always came. Sure, 'his parents drug him there' along with other multitudes of explanations were always prepared, but it didn't seem as if he had alerted his parents of his displeasure too strongly. Surely Mr. Edgar would have let him use an excuse to stay home at least some of the time. Like right now, if Todd hated him so much why hadn't he just stayed home? Normally people avoided those they disliked so strongly.

Pepito had gotten progressively better at reading emotions. Todd was a big tangled mess of them. He still couldn't sort through it all and always felt as if he was dealing with a jigsaw puzzle with 200 more pieces than were needed. He just couldn't figure out where they were meant to be placed.

Whenever Todd saw Pepito there was a definite emotion he couldn't place. It was weaker than the hatred and jealousy, there was always awkwardness and sometimes a slight fear. He couldn't place it exactly but it reminded him of a very stunted version of joy... or at least an increase in interest of his surroundings. It was hard to say. He had always taken it as Todd being pesky, or happy about getting him back for... whatever it was he had gone oh so wrong with for that day.

This place, Pepito's home, was Todd's "house away from his house" and if he could exploit that then maybe....

Pepito padded down the stairs, ready to forage for a proper snack, but stopped short of the kitchen door.

"Ah, son, there you are. Ever Punctual." His father smiled loosely.

Pepito, who had frozen mid step at the familiar, ever ominous presence of his dear father, wondered just what he was 'punctual' for.

"Er, hello father! How was Europe?" It had been 3 solid weeks since they had actually spoken. His father had been in Europe quite frequently and only popped in every few weeks. It was apparently for something top-secret that he wasn't allowed to know about... secret keeping... something Pepito had yet to master.

"Rather messy right now, but we wont get into that. Ready for your lessons?" Mr. Diablo had yet to take off his business suit, making for a very mild mannered, average, white male standing near the kitchen doorway.

_Ugh, shit...._

"Well... Todds over, so-"

"Now, now I heard you excuse yourself from him to come to talk with me."

"Ah. Right." He laughed nervously, "Sorry, Padre, I'm ready."

His father's smile grew substantially, continuing far past human limits as the facade of a tame man dissolved around him, the Prince of Darkness casually strolled towards his spawn.

"Remember, I can see it all Pepito."

"I remember." He sighed, reminded of so many plots failed over that... miner detail. He was rather used to the invasion of privacy by now, having lived it his whole life, yet he still had the silly fault of hoping for his father's ignorance to his plans.

"Now today I will be doing an over view of your progress!" His father stated cheerfully.

Aside from his regular school classes, Pepito also had classes with other spawns from his father. Similar to older siblings teaching him, they would educate him in various areas of study. From behavioral studies, past historical events, or culinary practices for both spiritual and mortal worlds to demonic power control, and proper temper management, Pepito was taught it all. As far as that last class... Pepito had been in it since near birth, learning to control his fiery attitude. He was very proud of his improvements so far.

"So... its just a review day?" That wouldn't be too difficult, nor would it take long.

"Yes, after all its been a while since I've watched over your lessons. I hope to see you have been studying your... weaker areas." this was his father's hint towards a subject they both were well aware he utterly failed at: Possessions.

"Oh...." He tried to hide his embarrassment as he followed his father towards the basement. _Double shit...._ He hadn't been practicing.

* * *

It just felt weird. Sprawled out on Pepito's huge bed flat on his belly, clicking away at the Z-box controller, Todd couldn't help but relax. That was not a good thing. Agitated, he tossed the controller to the side to rest his chin on the edge of the bed.

It wasn't his fault... he had just wanted to leave. Alcohol... he didn't really care, Todd hadn't caught onto all of Nny's morality processes, and he understood they were just looking for fun, or whatever. They were just being normal teenagers. It wasn't the alcohol itself, or he wouldn't have gone past the front door. It was just how terrified he was of himself.

When Shmee had left... he knew he was alone, and the nightmares got worse, much much worse. He remembered trying to fix them, Pepito helped, and even kept it a secret. He was always horrible at that. Nothing helped as much as Shmee monitoring him. The thought of loosing control of his thoughts... loosing coherency, that terrified him.

Todd sighed, turned sideways to curl inwards_, I didn't know Nny would answer the phone... Mr. Edgar always answers._ another sigh as he closed his eyes, _Maybe I wanted them to be hurt...._

"No."

_I don't want to hurt anyone. Getting people killed is wrong.... Pepito... didn't even seem to mind. All those 'friends' that died... he just seemed annoyed._ Todd felt sleep pulling him in. _What good is a friend... that couldn't care less if your mutilated... or even murdered right in front of them...?_


	11. Chapter 11 I hung my head and cried

DWM  
ch. 11 I hung my head and cried (as the engine died)

a/n:(Oh my god 16 pages, this almost killed me.)

'Pepi? Didn't I used to have... parents?'

'Uhm, you have parents. Nny and Mr. Edgar.' He playfully batted at Todd's shoulder. They were comfortably sprawled out in what Todd thought must have been Pepito's old bed.

'No,' he giggled, 'I mean... my real parents.'

Pepito seemed to grow uncomfortable under his gaze.

'Squee, don't be silly! They ar-'

'I had a mommy once... didn't I Pepi?'

'I...' Pepito was never good at secrets, 'y-yeah.'

_No, todd my boy, this is silly, just go back to playing._

_Schmee, I..._

An image swam into view of a tall woman with mousy brown hair and a polite (if not pained) look on her face. 'Who are you little boy?'

...'Mommy, it's me...'

'I...'

_No,Todd, just play with the nice anti-Christ! Better yet...isn't it almost time to sleep...?_

'Pepi?'

'Squee, I'm not supposed to talk about this! We should, uh, go watch TV! C'mon,' Pepito wriggled off of the bed, making a grab for Todd's arm as he did so.

----  
'No, no, no! Mommy!' he keened, only to be met with a distant cry of 'Mommy's ignoring you dear'.

'Why hello Squeegee, got any bactine...?'

Sickly and lean, bones rattling about inside loose skin like pebbles in a sock. Yellow eyes crazed and moving in too many directions, framed by choppy blue hair and a wholesome grin. It was him, scary neigh-

----  
Todd, who had been avoiding Pepito's grasp before, quickly suckered onto his arm, like a leech that had forgotten its appetite.

'P-Pepito? What happened to...'

----  
A man strapped to a wall, he looked familiar. That wasn't his father, his father was standing in the middle of the room, just fine, yelling at the top of his lungs...no, no that wasn't his dad either. Did he even have a father? Yes...yes, but he was...

A woman standing in a doorway, her face despondent, gazing down at him. But then she was gone and two men took her place, smiling down at him. He liked them, he did, but he felt like they were hiding the woman from before. Why were they hiding her? Who was she?

'...Mommy...?'

----

She was gone...

----

Mr. Edgar...Nny, staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. What had he said? What was he saying? His mouth was moving, he could feel his throat pushing words up and past his lips, but he was deaf to them. What was he saying..?! Nny was happy, his father was happy, no...his _father_ was going to die, had died...what...?

----  
'Oh.'

_Todd, no! Jus...sleep, its...not...not your...ault!_

'Oh, I remember...I said...'

----

"Mr. Neighbor man?" he called.

"Yes, Squee?" Nny answered.

"You can kill my daddy if you want, and my mommy if you feel like it."

"What?! No! Son! Don't leave me here!"

----  
'It was...' Pepito suddenly held him, keeping him from springing away, from detaching.

'S-squee, you don't look so good."

_Don't...fault._

'Schmee? It was my fault, wasn't it?'

Silence...

_Schmee?_

Nothing.

_S-schmee! Why aren't you saying anything?_

Everything was blurry, getting darker. Black enveloped everything.

'Schmee...please, say something.'

His vision kept swimming, dizzying him, and though all he wanted to do was vomit he found he rather preferred it to what his eyes finally settled on. Predator, deadly, wiry, crouched like a cat on the window sill, staring him down with a hungry gleam in his eyes. Spindly fingers, too long, gripped tightly to the window ledge as he leaned impossibly far forward. That grin, he knew that grin...

_Please don't find me, please don't find me!_

He wanted to hide, to pull his covers tight over his head, but was frozen stiff, as the creatur-no, the scary neighbor man's gaze locked onto him. His body was coiled and prepared to pounce. _Move, oh please, just m-move!_

It leapt into the air, razor sharp arms extended, just as Todd found his voice-

"Nooooo!" -thwack- "Agh!" Todd cried, clutching his forehead in pain.

It had hit him, he was blind! Wildly Todd thrashed about finally making contact with the beast, beating it with his tiny, ineffectual fists.

"Oh, ow! Fuck Todd, knock it-ow! Off!"

"Nooooo!"

"Pepi!!" he cried, continuing his assault on the beast. Where was Pepito? Maybe he could help him!

"Seriously, ouch! What the hell did I do?!"

"Noo!' he shrieked once more, finding it was the only thing he could say anymore, shoving at his assailant.

**Thud**

"Ow! Fuck, MOOOOM!"

"Whaaat!?"

"Todd's having a nightmaaaare!"

_Pepi?_ He wrenched his eyes open, only to see a very ruffled Pepito, flat on his butt, screaming to his mother.

"Well wake him up! We're going to the _STORE_!"

"He_punched_ me in the _face_!"

"Do you want your mother to get punched in the face?!"

"Nooo! That's not what I meant!" he wailed.

"Well, what do you _want_ me to do?!"

"Come and wake him _up_!"

"Uhm..." surprisingly his voice cracked, a dry sob ripped out of his throat.

"Oh! Mooom, he's awake!"

"Don't you yell, I'm right here!" she screamed from the staircase.

"Todd, why the hell did you have to hit me? Are you-...Todd what's wrong?"

"I-I-"

"All this fuss!" Barbara huffed, stomping into the room and thrusting Pepito's old sippy cup filled with warm kool-aid into Todd's shaking hands.

"I just leaned over to wake him up and he went brzerk!"

"Sure, sure dear."

_My hands are shaking?_

"Now," she draped a blanket over Todd's thin frame, "to the store!"

Both boys awkwardly rose to shuffle after Mrs. Diablo, out the door and into the car, off to the store they went.

Pepito watched as Todd went through five tries at buckling his seatbelt.

"I thought you boys had outgrown sippy-cups, but obviously I was wrong! You're never too old for a sippy-oh...Pepito, dear, help Todd with that belt will you? We'll be here all day otherwise!"

He awkwardly snatched the buckle, shoving it into place and pulling back before Todd could lash out once more. He didn't even pretend to listen to his mother prattle on about the shopping list, and which dinners were assigned to what days. Todd's odd twitching, teary eyes, and blotched cheeks proved much more...engaging.

It was deja vu. The lost and utterly consumed blank stare, the violent lashing out, and even his mother's attempt to quell the other's fear. The last time this happened, he had been seven, curled up with Todd, ready for bed. Eight years...what had he said last time to fix it enough for him to carry on eight years?! Why couldn't he have been blessed with Todd's amazing memory? Maybe if he remembered they could do this again at age twenty-three. _Wait...why would Todd be passed out in my bed at age twenty-three? That's just stupid...._

Nightmares were nothing new but this hadn't been a nightmare. What was it called when you revisited memories in your sleep? Todd had researched it once, mostly to see if it was part of the normal process of committing something to memory. But... if anyone were to ask why these memories were ever revisited, he would have said guilt.

Tugging at the blanket, Todd tried to straighten it out. Breakdowns tended to bring on his more neurotic side. It also reduced him to a shaking, twitchy mess with a tendency to stare down random objects. His current target was an innocent barrel of potatoes.

_Why do I have a sippy cup...? Oh... right, Mrs. Barbara._ Todd took a hesitant taste of the warmed sugary chemical mixture; the familiar taste was a comfort, one he needed very badly, surrounded by strangers in the surprisingly loud produce section. _Why am I here...?_

"You grab those potatoes yet?" Pepito had appeared at his side, several bags of assorted vegetables in hand, "...Todd?"

"O-oh... I, uh...." He fumbled with the blanket and cup, trying to reach for one of the nearby potatoes.

"Don't worry, Squee, I got it." Pepito spoke softly, resting a hand on Todd's shoulder, easing him to the side and reaching up to tear off another plastic sack.

_Oh... wait-_ Todd's gaze dropped to the cup once more.

"What did you...?"

"Huh?" Pepito asked without glancing up from his vegetable inspections.

"Did you just say...."

"Did I say wha- Oh, oh shit, I'm sorry! Todd!" Pepito suddenly looked rather apprehensive.

"No, just... just shut up," Todd squeaked, turning to shuffle away.

"Damn it!"

He heard Pepito yell just as he rounded a corner, headed down to the cleaning supplies. There was also the distinct sound of multiple hard objects crashing onto the ground.

When was the last time he had heard the nickname wrapped in Pepito's unique, multi-racial accent? Had it really been years? He could remember their last, exceedingly awkward sleepover, and his exclamation of hatred towards the other.

That really hadn't bothered him... and that was the detail that bothered him most. Another comforting thing delivered from the Diablo's in his time of need, but possibly one too many. It just reminded him further of the dream, of his idiotic, childish decisions. Why had he been given such an option!? What were they thinking, asking an eight year old if they could kill his parents? ...Why had he agreed to it?

It was the same thought process as ever, and each time he could think of numerous answers. It was nothing new to him, contemplating all the reasons, but it was the first time in what had to have been six or seven years that he had done something like this in front of Pepito. Then again, it was probably his first time at the house willingly, besides planned dinners, in nearly the same amount of years.

Willingly... was he really here... willingly? Was he hanging out with Pepito? _Ugh... what am I doing.... _

"Todd?"

"Squee!" he jumped, flailing under the blanket.

"Still a bit jumpy, dear?" Barbara cooed, an apologetic look coming over her, "I'm sorry, but could you run and get me a-"

"...Mrs. Barbara?"

"Where is that boy?" she scoffed.

"P-Pepito's getting potatoes...." he glanced away.

"Ah," Mrs. Barbara was the master at 'knowing gazes', "I see, well, could you fetch me a loaf of bread?"

"Sure," he choked out, trudging towards the bread isle.

----  
"Damn it!" Pepito cried, as soon as Todd was out of sight, flinging his bags to the floor.

"Young man!" A nearby worker shouted, "Please control yourself!"

"...I am so sorry, I'll pick it up," he said mechanically, squatting down to the mess of vegetables.

Why had he said that stupid old nickname?! _I know not to say it... I know this! Stupid, stupid, thinking that would help relax him? Ow! _

"Pinche papa!" Several potatoes had smacked the top of his head. Pepito rubbed at the sore spot, none too pleased. He ached backwards just in time to watch as a mountain of potatoes came crashing down.

"Fucking potatoes!"

Once more, Pepito sat flat on his ass, only this time he was covered in potatoes and a cold rage burned in his eyes.

"Sir!" an exasperated voice cried, "really please just leave! I'll clean it up."

The owner to the tired voice came into view. It was a familiar face... though he wasn't sure from where. He was a teenager so Pepito guessed it was a school mate but he definitely did not belong to the A, B or even the C-list crowd.

_I know way too many people, that's all._

"I'm sorry, I'm not even sure what happened there," he brushed the potatoes off of him to stand, sending them scattering about.

"Its ok, just, please, no more damage. I'm still the new guy here!" the teen laughed awkwardly while sorting through the mess.

"...Hey, don't I... know you from somewhere?" Pepito ran a hand wearily through his red hair, _its getting too long... I need a cut._

"Yep! You're Pepito, right? Todd's friend."

"I don't know about friends, but we grew up together, yes." He wasn't at school... he didn't have to deny affiliation. So why was he?

"Yeah, he told me bout that," he smiled up at Pepito, waving a stalk of celery in his direction.

"Mmhmm...." he felt rather awkward about that, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh, ha," he finally stretched up, adjusting his blue vest of a uniform, "Peter, Todd's friend."

Pepito started blankly for a moment, raking his brain. _The 'friend'! The one he let over!_

"Gamer nerd?" he snapped his fingers, grinning proudly at his remembrance.

Peter chuckled, "Yep, I'm guessing Todd hasn't said too much about me, we're new friends."

"We don't talk much." _I just need to stop talking._

"Ah, that's... that's too bad," he seemed to consider this, mulling it over.

"It is," clearing his throat; he had the sudden want to leave. _If only I could just manipulate this kid like usual and be on my way! _"I'll be going now, almost time for dinner."

"Oh, of course, uh... tell Todd I said 'Hi'."

"You'll probably see him before I do," _liar_, Pepito smiled, gathered his bags from Peter and turned to find Todd.

_I will be his friend... I will._

- - - - - -

Pepito found Todd in the bread isle... in near hysterics.

"Todd, really, calm the fuck down!"

"Pepito,Ijustdon'tgetitwhyshouldithavetochangethatsnotfair!Andwhatssogreataboutthestupidwh-"

"Ho, jeez! Slow DOWN!" Pepito shouted; a firm grip on Todd's shaking shoulders.

"...white bread is an attention whore."

"O...k? That's a pretty strong accusation." Pepito cocked an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation.

"Nothing, just forget it!"

"What's wrong with white bread?"

Todd watched as Pepito moved to the side, allowing a younger woman to pull a loaf of the offending bread from the shelf, tossing it into the cart next to her screaming child.

"Todd?"

"That!" he flailed towards the woman's previous location, "Everyone picks it a-and it's not even good for you! Do you know what's in that over processed crap?! Nothing! That's what! Empty nutritional value charts and wasted calories!"

"Well... no one's forcing you to eat it."

"But... it's what's more... normal." Todd curled his fingers into the soft blanket. It looked as if he might cry once more.

_Normal bread?! What the hell is this even about? Norm-_

"Normal? Normal to some; it's just a preference of normality, Todd."

An old tottering man made his way around the twitchy teen, grabbing a bag of white bread.

_That... is not helpful._

"It's a very preferred normalcy," Todd spat.

"Todd...."

"What?"

"Fuck them, and their preferred normalcy."

With that he grabbed a bag of whole wheat, swung an arm around the unstable boy and began to lead him towards the checkout counter.

"You just need to know what you prefer, forget theirs."

"You are such a hypocrite, Pepito."

_How did that make me a hypocrite?! Fucking bipolar is what he is! Calling me Pepi then flipping out when I use 'squee!' What the hell!?_

"...C'mon," he sighed, " if we take too long my mom will hunt my grounded ass down."

Todd swayed a substantial amount, and he felt certain that without his arm the boy would run straight into a display tower of chili.

His eyes swept over the crowded checkout lines. _There she is!_ He pitched his load of groceries into the cart after situating Todd against it.

"Pepito? Where are the potatoes?"

His mother clicked her tongue when no reply came, "I can't trust you two with groceries? What is with you boys!"

"I'll get them Mrs. Diablo," Todd quipped, stumbling off to the produce.

"...Pepi, dear, Todd doesn't look too stable yet," she smiled cheerily, "Do you have that fancy cell phone of yours? I think maybe I should talk to Edgar about when he wants Todd home."

"Yeah, mom, I have it.," handing over the phone his eyes stayed rooted to where Todd had turned, disappearing behind the chili cans. _Well... at least he didn't run into it._

_Potatoes, potatoes... ah, there we go!_

Todd guess Pepito had been lost in their conversation. _What a fucking hypocrite, 'just find your preference.'_

"Oh really, Pepito, is that what _you_ did?"Todd was cramming potatoes into the plastic sack, visciously whispering to himself.

_I don't see you finding your own preferences! Or maybe you are just **so**  
perfect now that you have all the right ones inherently!_

"...Damn it, he probably thinks so. He would."

"He who?"

"Pepit-Oh!" Todd clung to the sack whipping around."

"Hey! Look who has a job!" Peter smiled at his jumpy, wide eyed friend.

"Peter!"

"Watch out man, soon I'll be the one with the newest games first!"

"Haha, y-yeah." _...that was a shaky laugh._

"Hey, you ok? Ya don't look so good and... whats with the blanket?"

"O-oh, I... was just cold? Yeah, its just a cold."

"Oh, man, you're sick? That sucks."

"Mhm, its not too bad really."

"By the way, I saw your friend Pepito maybe five... ten minutes ago. Hes a little clumsy isn't he?"

"Yeah, we're shopping... and hes usually pretty light on his feet."

"Weird, but hey, you guys do hang then!"

"N-no, no, we're not hanging out! We aren't really friends. You know."

"...hm. Ok, you're shopping... not hanging out, and aren't friends... so hes more like a brother or something?"

"What? No. Hes just Pepito. Popular, annoying, jerky Pepito. You know, you've seen him at school."

"He seems pretty nice to me."

"Hes the Anti-christ!" Todd cried before he could snap his teeth shut.

"...."

_shit!_

"Now, come on, he really wasn't _that_ bad." Peter creased his brow.

"Yeah, I just meant... hes manipulative."

"Eh, he was pretty honest to me.... But anyways, potatoes?"

"Shit! Sorry, Peter, gotta go!" Todd sprinted through the produce section waving behind him.

"No problem, see ya at school man!"

Stumbling all the way to the front of the store, Todd nearly fell a dozen times. _stupid shaky legs!_

"What took you so long?" Pepito shouted.

They were all checked out (save for the potatoes) and a line of perterbed customers had formed behind Mrs. Barbara. Tod chucked the bag onto the counter, coming to a complete stop just in time to avoid crashing into Pepito.

"...Running? Really? Now thats just not smart Todd, sweety." Mrs Barbara mused, handing over her debit card.

The shaking was worse now, where before the run it had nearly subsided. Todd feared walking to the car, realizing he probably wouldn't make it past the sliding doors. All strategical planning halted when Pepito pulled one of his twiggy arms over his shoulder, gruffly hauling him along towards the doors.

"Pepito, I don't need your-"

"Shut up, Todd. You could barely stand on your own two feet, and I don't wanna watch you try to chart your way to the car." With that he picked up pace, practically carrying Todd to the car.

"There, was that so bad?" Pepito popped open the door, watching as Todd slid into the back.

Todd merely glanced away, embarrassed at his current inabilities, and Pepito retreated to the back of the car, loading in the groceries.

Mrs. Diablo couldn't stand silence in cars, first trying the radio, then, upon finding nothing but commercials(Nny's favorite), began to chatter once more.

Todd shrugged off the blanket, no longer finding the warmth enjoyable, and leaned against the cool glass. He loved watching the scenery pass, combining the blurred images into new, more enthralling subjects. Todd had always been a daydreamer, one tends to entertain themselves when no one else is there to, and had expressed it in what was usually discouraged writing. With not many to over look his stories he fretted about his stunted stories never improving. He still tended to hide them... but right now his pent up emotion made him yearn for a pencil. Shapes and colors were leaping out from the familiar drive. He was never sure of what he would write till the pencil was in his hand. A character flaw for certain, the pencil had become a pacifier to him. Lately he had ignored it.

_Wait... is someone talking to me?_

"-eemed a bit worried, dear. I asked if he was alright with you staying for dinner and he said it was fine with him. But really its up to you. Now when we get home be su-"

"Huh?" Todd blurted out.

"Mr. Edgar? I called him in the store, and hes just fine with you staying over for super, but I think you should give him a quick phone anyways." Barbara tittered on, back into her random subject changes.

_...I wonder how Nny is.... Hes probably still mad at me._ He involuntarily winced at the thought of facing his enraged father. Nny had never actually hurt him, greatly to Mr. Edgar's watchful eye, but he had never really made him this mad before. _...dinner should give him long enough to cool down... right?_

Sometimes it got lonely... only having your own voice echo in your skull.

As soon as the car was in park; Todd fumbled his door open, grabbed a few bags and headed for the house. Pepito loaded each arm with four of the heavier bags, as was custom, and followed suit. He had the bags on the counter; everything put away, and was nowhere in sight by the time Pepito made it to the kitchen. Todd couldn't wait to flop down and not move for a while. It was just what his nerves needed, and his bean bag was calling.

But as soon as he made it to the room another thought struck him. _I should probably stretch out...._ The bed it was. There was plenty of room and it wouldn't have him risking a sore neck. Besides, he didn't get many chances at a bed to himself now a days- er... ever.

Twisting himself so he was staring at the ceiling, Todd flopped backwards onto the overly comfy matress.

"Mmm... want sleep." he hummed. "...?"

Light, trotting footfall could be heard on the stair case as Pepito padded up to his room. They stopped suddenly just outside of the room, a nervous vibe emanating from the door way. Todd tried to keep his breath rhythmic and his eyes from fluttering. _He'll leave me alone if I'm passed out, right?_ e

"...Todd?"

He turned away from the intruding voice, groaning in protest.

"I know, but mother says you have to call home."

When Todd made no motion to stand Pepito added on a hesitant 'Sorry.'

"Yeah ok...." he slid off the bed, shuffling downstairs to use the kitchen phone.

It was a rather new phone, silver and metallic all over. He felt certain he would leave finger smudges.

"...Hello?"

When had he dialed?

"Hey its me... Todd."

"Oh."

Long awkward silences were getting old today.

"Y-yeah... uhm, Mrs. Barbara wanted to know if I could stay for dinner... so...."

"Well... you are grounded, I'm not sure how this works but.... Maybe its time you came home."

That was a surprise....

"O- ok."

"Barbara said you had a.. nightmare?" Edgar wasn't very good with phone calls.

"Yeah, nothing really. No big deal."

"You sure...? I know you can get a little... shaky... with stress."

"Its ok, I'm fine."

"Hm, if you-"

"You most certainly are not, young man." Barbara shouted from the kitchen.

"Uhh-"

"Now if you have to head on home, at least have Pepi drive you! Lord knows thelast thing we need is a wreck!"

"...Mrs. Barbara?"

"Y-yeah, she says she'll have Pepi dr- Pepito drive me home."

"...Ok."

"..."

"I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye, Mr. Edgar."

-click-

"Pepito!"

"I heard, I heard! I'm coming!"

"Now Todd, sweety, come give me a hug before you leave."

A quick, tight hug and a kiss on the forehead sent Todd on his way.

- - - - - -

Piling into the car with Pepito felt weird, it brought this one step closer to them having 'hung out'. But as long as Pepito just stayed quiet it wasn't so ba-

"So...."

Damn it.

"Y'know I was just wondering..." Pepito fiddled with the wipers as a few drops splattered on the wind shield, "about that dream."

_Oh, God, I don't need this._

"Was.. was it about...."

"My parents? Yeah."

"Ah...."

"You were in it this time." _Don't continue the conversation! Shut up!_

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Todd, your parents, it wasn't your fault. I mean, even if you hadn't told him to... he would've done it anyways." He paused while making a turn,"And... it's not like they were good parents right?"

_Uhm...._

"...Right?"

"But they were **my** parents, Pepito. **My** parents." Todd curled inward, turning to glare at the other, "Even if they weren't good ones."

Silence once more filled the tiny car. The rain was picking up pace.

"...They didn't really raise you, Todd...."

_...shut up...._

"They weren't there for you...."

_Shut UP._

"They weren't there to... to love you."

"Shut up!" He screamed just as the car wen into another turn, sending him lurching towards Pepito.

"No! They weren't your parents!"

"Just shut up!"

"Not in he real sense of the word!" Pepito glared out at the road, gaining speed along with the rain fall.

"Pepito, just-"

"It wasn't your damned fault, so stop beating yourself up about it!"

"...what?"

"Its not right! You being so unhealthy over something that... that you could do nothing about, Todd."

"I.. killed the-"

"No, Todd. No you didn't."

_He did._

"I... I-" his voice caught in his throat replaced by dry sobs pushing past his sealed teeth.

"Shit... Todd.. don't cry. I'm... I'm sorry, you don't need me yelli-"

"I- I didn't..." _tears...?_ "He did it."

"Wha-"

"S-scarry n-neighb..."

"Neighbor man...."

He nodded roughly, closing his eyes, trying to stop the tears. A strong hand gripped his shoulder as the car came to a stop. Was he home already? Before he registered the motion, Pepito had pulled him into a rough hug. It didn't help to stop his tears, only seeming to egg on his racking sobs.

"N-nnnn-" he whined into Pepito's shoulder. But just as quickly as they had come, the tears left. They had left Todd in an awkward hug outside his own home.

Thankfully Mrs. Barbara pulled in seconds later, saving Todd from having to push the other away after the... nice gesture. Pepito slipped out of the car, gently closing the door without so much as a wave goodbye. Much to Todd's relief.

He sat in the car staring up towards his house, his home, dreading what may be lurking just below, or god forbid... on the top level.


	12. Chapter 12 You Told Me Once

Dream With Me  
ch. 12 You Told Me Once (to jerk on the e-brake)

**a/n: COMMENT plz 3**

Todd opened the door to the house and peered inside. He'd heard shouting when he'd made it to the porch and had spent the past fifteen minutes gathering the courage to so much as touch the doorknob. Now, looking inside he had a view of the hallway and could see only that the door to the basement was open just a crack, the other two doors were shut. He took a deep breath and pushed himself inside.

"Fine! Go ahead and hide in your head, _Edgaaar_ that's all you EVER do!" Nny screeched, whirling around and stomping only a few paces away before turning back towards the couch and glaring.

Mr. Edgar was sitting on the couch staring at the wall, not saying a word. Even when Nny trudged back across the room and stood in front of him, his sword at his throat, he didn't move. His skin was turning the lightest shade of blue so who knew if he was even breathing. Todd was frozen at the door. He'd only ever seen this sort of thing happen once or twice before. One of his parents' fights, not a small argument, disagreement, or case of bickering, but a _fight_. Todd guessed that it usually happened while he was at school. He'd come home a few times and Mr. Edgar had been very tired, and unable to speak, or he'd already gone to bed, sleeping from before Todd got home till four in the morning.

"If you wanted my attention, you know, you could have just latched on to me, sniveling for affection, you pathetic maggot! But no, it's always about _you_, always you, always **you**! You decide to shut down and _hide_," Nny hissed, sliding the tip of his sword across Edgar's cheek, leaving a long thin line, blood trickling down the rosy skin.

_...Don't hurt him...._

Edgar remained silent, unmoving, and still alarmingly blue. Todd wanted to pry Mr. Edgar's mouth open, make him breathe, but it was hard when he himself couldn't move. His vision was swimming, had _he_ been breathing? He took in a lungful of air and that's when Nny looked at him.

"Where were you?! Were you with that filth _again_?! You were drinking, and exchanging dirty, vile, sickness with the maggots weren't you?! Weren't you?! You're becoming one of them Squeejee!"

Todd shook, opening his mouth and forcing out only the slightest whimper. His meager effort only caused his father-his _nightmare_ to howl with rage.

"You're just like him! Just like him!"

"No! I- I was, I'm sorry!"

Nny was walking away, towards the basement, ignoring his pleas.

"I was just getting groceries with Mrs. Barbara and Pepito, I didn't want to go, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm SORRY!"

With a slam of the basement door, Nny had disappeared from view. Todd wrapped his arms around himself, his eyes lifting slowly from the floor to the ever frozen form of his mother. Edgar was turning bluer by the second, soon he'd pass out. Todd walked over, one step at a time, his legs feeling like lead. He fell onto the couch and looked at him, looking into his eyes for any sign of his mother. Nothing, they were empty, not even tired, just…gone.

Todd was afraid to touch him, having just been snapped at by Nny, he had no idea what would happen if he disturbed the shell that his mother had become. But he _had_ to breathe. Todd used one hand to grip Mr. Edgar's jaw and the other to try and push his lips apart, and then his teeth. It was hard, they were clenched tight. But a minute later he'd forced the tense jaw open and a breath went rushing in. Mr. Edgar faced him, but his eyes were still empty. He wasn't back yet.

"…it's ok," Todd said, feeling like his own voice was too loud in the tense and silent house, "I'm sorry I went to Pepito's…I know you didn't say no, but I shouldn't have anyways. I knew I was grounded."

Todd pulled his feet up onto the edge of the couch after absently kicking off his shoes. Wrapping his arms around his knees he scooted over, leaning against Mr. Edgar, his head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I made him mad at us...at you," Todd offered, knowing he wouldn't get a response.

"It'll be ok, Mr. Edgar."

He was breathing on his own, Todd noted. They were both breathing, and he was talking, though he knew his mother wouldn't for hours. He could talk for the both of them. So he talked, and he talked, mostly apologizing, with interludes of mention of the things he was learning in school. He felt, as he spoke, the parts of him that he'd acquired from his 'parents', from Nny and Mr. Edgar, clashing and uniting. Though Mr. Edgar's silence bothered him, and he worried about him, the part of him that was like his mother knew he would come out of it eventually. The part of him that was like Nny wanted to fill the air with chatter and so he did, he babbled. He went on and on, speaking with no need for response, until Mr. Edgar could find his own voice again.

Edgar awoke to find his eyes were already open. He'd shut down, he realized. Feeling a weight against his side he turned his head and his face met a mussed head of brown hair. Todd. He was sitting next to him on the couch, leaning against him. He was talking, ceaselessly about something to do with his English class. Edgar pressed a kiss to the top of his head and tried to find a place in the word vomit where he might interject a response. He tried to remember when he'd fallen out of everything, even though he knew it was useless. He never could remember when exactly he'd left, nor could he remember what had transpired while he was out. Obviously Todd had come home, but what time was it? When had he gotten home?

"I think we're supposed to go on a field trip or something for science next week, but I don't really want to, I mean, I think we have to watch a dissection, I guess that's better than doing it ourselves but I still don't want to see it, I mean really, cats? I draw the line at locusts, and-"

"Todd," Edgar blurted, "when did you get home?"

His son scooted away from him on the couch, trying to look into the kitchen to see the clock on the wall.

"About five hours ago," he answered, "it's about nine now."

"Oh, jeez, well, I doubt your father will notice how late it is, we better get started on dinner," Edgar sighed.

He pushed himself into a standing position and offered Todd a hand up. He took it, leading the way to the kitchen. Edgar wondered if it was the good parent thing to do to ask him just what he'd thought he was doing going to Pepito's. Or should he ask about his nightmare? Todd stood in front of the fridge, peering in, probably wondering if they even had anything to make. Edgar shuffled up next to him, trying to get used to his mouth making noise again. It was always hard to talk again, after hours, or days of silence.

"What do you wanna make, Mr. Edgar? I think we have enough cheese to make macaroni, did you get more ground mustard seed while you were at the market last?"

"I think so, lemme check," he answered. Had he actually said that? And look, he was moving! Edgar didn't remember telling his legs to take him over to the spice cupboard. Had those words come out of his mouth or was he imagining things?

"Yeah, we have some, and look, different kind, has an easier cap to use," Edgar waved the bottle with the pop-up cap at Todd. Before they'd had a small rectangle tin box, in no way was it possible to get a tablespoon of powder out without getting some on the floor.

"Oh, cool!" Todd smiled warily, taking the bottle from him and setting it on the counter next o the fridge.

"Todd…"

"Hmm?"

He was getting bags of cheddar cheese out, along with the eggs. He set them on the counter and then went to the pantry to get the evaporated milk. When he turned around with it, and the macaroni noodles in hand he paused, cocking his hip to the side and raising an eyebrow at him. _God he looks just like Nny…_Edgar thought, feeling very tired from the blackout.

"Mom?"

"You know, I don't understand why I'm the _mother_ here, I mean-"

"What were you going to ask?" Todd interrupted him, setting the necessary ingredients out and ushering him over to the pan cupboard under the counter while he got out the measuring cups.

"It's not, I…" Edgar stared at the water pouring into the large soup pot, trying to ignore Todd's exasperated look, "tell me about your nightmare. If I'm your 'mom' then you should tell me."

Now he _really_ didn't want to look at him. Edgar lifted the pot out of the sink, and turned off the faucet. He heaved it onto the old stove and turned the heat up, reaching for the bag of macaroni noodles. Todd didn't stop him; he edged away and leaned against the fridge. Edgar hoped he hadn't put Todd off of saying anything. That was one thing that he hoped Todd hadn't picked up from him. It helped Edgar deal with Nny, but if Todd picked up the habit too, it would only mean trouble for the both of them. He had to force something out, to get Todd's attention. God, the words had been coming from who knows where a minute ago!

"Well, what...do you want to know?" Todd finally said.

"What happened in your nightmare that was so bad Barbara was going to make you 'cookies'? Which we both know means-"

"More varieties of cookies I could possibly ever eat in my lifetime? Yeah, um…" Todd sighed and kicked at the concrete. "I…dreamt about the night I remembered my real parents, the night Schmee when away."

Edgar paused in his staring contest with the macaroni noodles and glanced up at his pseudo-son, "So that's why he disappeared…? Huh…"

"You knew?"

Edgar chuckled at the surprised and horrified look on his face, "Well, 'mothers' know everything, and besides, you weren't carrying him around anymore, or talking to him, Todd, it was pretty obvious he'd 'left'."

"Oh…"

"Now tell me what really bothered you about the dream, cuz I know that isn't it," Edgar instructed firmly, scooping out a noodle to pop into his mouth, testing the softness of it. It could use another few minutes.

"I…Mr. Edgar I don't know if I can say it…"

"I can wait," Edgar smiled, "You see, I've got another few minutes on the noodles…"

Todd laughed nervously, collapsing into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Edgar moved over to start making the cheese sauce. He mixed the evaporated milk, the cheese, the eggs, and the powdered mustard seed. Todd remained quiet, but it wasn't a resisting quiet, just a waiting one. Edgar could wait, as he'd said. He had quite a few minutes.

"Nny isn't…"

"He isn't…"

Edgar grabbed some oven mitts and nonchalantly carried the pot over to the sink. He set it down on the counter and quickly reached around in the cupboard for a colander. Then he was draining the water through the strainer, and sightless as the steam fogged up his glasses.

"Nny isn't my father," Todd blurted, his words glued together as they were spat from his mouth like something vile. Edgar took his glasses off and wiped them off on his shirt. When he put them back on he looked at the tiles about where he figured Todd's abandoned words had fallen.

"He's a n-nightmare I had when I was little, he's the scary neighbor man, and he killed my parents," Edgar noted that Todd's words were slower, and toneless, falling to the floor one at a time, slowly drifting through the air and landing in a jagged pile at his feet. They held weight, but only as much as a feather. The bulk of their pounds had been picked at, and pulled away by thought, and now they meant nothing. But Edgar knew they had meant something once, they had meant a lot. So he gathered them up with his eyes and looked at his son.

"Yes, that's true, all of it," Edgar said carefully, "but he raised you, at least a little. You are who you are; because of us...do you want to be someone else?"

"...sometimes," Todd mumbled, "but I don't know who else I'd be, so I think...I think I'm okay."

"Ok," Edgar replied, turning back to the macaroni. He poured it back into the pot and set the pot on the stove so he could mix in the cheese sauce. As he did so, Todd bounced his heels on the concrete.

Todd waited for him to avoid curdling the dinner before saying, "But…it isn't…it isn't really his fault is it? I mean…I _asked_ him to kill my parents."

Edgar stared at him, holding the massive pot in his oven mitted hands. Todd turned his gaze away from him and onto the floor instead. Edgar set the pot on the kitchen table before fetching a towel to set under it (to avoid burning the table, of course). Todd stood up and got bowls out, and silverware, to give himself something to do. He fidgeted when he was nervous. Edgar sighed.

"Todd, you were seven, and your father had just told you he didn't love you, children at that age have just barely managed to separate real from make believe," Edgar's voice was chiding but he didn't mean for it to be, he wanted it to be reassuring, "and with Schmee, there's no doubt at that age you simply figured your parents would go away, and if they didn't love you, no big loss. The ramifications of decisions like that aren't understandable by a child's brain."

"Yeah," Todd grumbled, "Pepito said it wasn't my fault, too...."

"It isn't your fault," Edgar agreed.

"But…"

"But nothing," Edgar finished.

Todd sighed disparagingly, setting the table and reaching into the fridge to get out soda to have with their meal. Edgar glanced between the three drinks and felt a slouch settle in his posture. There was cherry soda for Johnny, Lemon fizz for him, and Cherry Limeade for Todd.

The table was set, and Todd and Edgar were gazing woefully at it, willing it to magically spawn Nny in his place without them having to do anything. When they looked to each other despondently they both knew that one of them would have to fetch him. One of them would have to venture into the basement. Edgar tensed at the thought of descending into the bowels of the forsaken house to find his mate. If he went looking for him, who knew what sort of verbal or physical lashing awaited him. Sending Todd wasn't an option, clearly, after the discussion they'd just had. Why couldn't Nny just show up on his own?

Edgar left, rounding the corner and calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to fetch your father, don't start eating without us, we're hungry to you know."

He cringed after the words left his mouth, and simultaneously felt Todd wince. He muttered the word 'stupid' to himself for every step he went down, clenching his hands. In his head he said 'hate you' towards the thought of the embarrassing slip until eventually he forgot it, and thought instead about finding Nny. Well practiced at the art of finding him in the basement, Edgar opened each door, looking in for only a moment before moving on. Surprisingly, Johnny wasn't that far down. When Edgar opened the door and knocked on the wall inside, his mate whirled around and faced him with a manic grin.

"Hey attention whore, what's up?" Nny greeted cheerily. Edgar's entire body tensed, not at the usual insult, but at the clearly at ease vibe Johnny radiated. He was…happy. Not angry, but happy. Why?

"Um, dinner's ready," Edgar answered, smiling against the gag reflex flaring in his throat. How was he _not_ in trouble?

"Oooh, sghetti-o's?"

"Sadly, no, we made mac & cheese."

"Oh, still okay, if we _mix in_ sghetti-o's!" Nny chirped, hopping up from the stool he'd positioned in front of the woman he'd been working on. She was strapped to a table, her mouth held open. There was something wrong with her lips, but Edgar couldn't figure out what it was from the door so he decided he didn't want to know.

Together they left the room, climbing up the stairs. Nny was chatting with him about some of the maggots in the basement he'd been playing with, pausing frequently for Edgar to chime in with a response. He had to answer with a full sentence, or else Nny nudged shoulders, his smile widening with every nudge. Edgar's jaw clenched at the familiar pattern. Now that he was talking, it was time for him to be okay. One word answers, or silence would be taken as regression, he had to keep talking, even if he had nothing to say. Silence equaled trouble, and this horrifying joy Nny was displaying did not. Edgar could feel the post-black-out fatigue set in heavy and he wanted to sleep so badly it hurt, but he forced his eyes open. He forced his mouth to move, providing words that were flat and said nothing. He led the way into the kitchen and found that Todd had sat down in his spot, and resisted eating without them. Edgar figured he did probably take at least one spoonful out of the pot and wiped his spoon clean.

Edgar sat down in his assigned seat, preparing to serve him and Todd some dinner. But Nny screeched 'stop! Wait!' and Edgar's hand halted, held stiffly mid air. Johnny rifled around in the pantry for a moment and then backed away, three cans of spaghetti-o's in his arms. Taking one he started to childishly gnaw on it, eventually deciding to cut it open with his swords. Edgar pulled his hand away from the ladle, resting it on the table while he waited for his appetite to be ruined. He'd seen the look on Todd's face at the sudden exclamation and recognized it as the 'subdued panic' look, it then morphed into the 'waiting' and then the 'there goes dinner' look. Edgar found it like staring at his reflection when Todd and he were caught in the post-rage whirlwind Johnny entered.

In minutes Todd and Edgar were forced to survey three cans of 'sghetti-o's' be poured into a perfectly good batch of macaroni and cheese. It was mixed together, and then happily served to them by Johnny. Todd and Edgar shared a long practiced look of joy covered disappointment. They dove in with an enthusiasm so strong it couldn't possibly be genuine. But Johnny appeared happy as he ate his dinner. Helping one where the other faltered Edgar and Todd managed to keep each other afloat in the required dinner conversation of torture and conspiracy well enough to please the maniac eating with them.

After dinner, Johnny washed his own bowl, and went so far as to kiss Edgar's cheek. When Edgar tensed at the contact, Johnny frowned against his skin. Edgar cringed. His skin crawled, and he felt bile in his throat, but he turned his head and forced his lips to cover Nny's, and he laid a hand on a tan cheek. The kiss made Johnny smile again, and chuckle. When he pulled away and disappeared around the corner, there was a spring in his step. Edgar waited for the basement door to open, and close before he sagged in the chair. It wasn't the kiss, it wasn't. He liked it, he wanted it, and it had made Johnny happy. Wanting affection when he was this tense just happened to make him feel disgusting in his own skin and want to tear it off or to somehow throw up all of his organs. He took a deep breath and made himself stand up.

Todd was staring at the soup pot with widened eyes, his hands opening and closing. Edgar went digging for the tub-o-ware in which to store Johnny's savory concoction. It was hard to even look at the dinner fear had ordered him to eat. And it was fear that was now refusing his body the right to vomit the mixture into the sink. Once everything was sealed up, put away, and washed, Edgar turned back to Todd. He was still staring at where the pot had been, but his hands were no longer moving. Edgar wanted to apologize, but if Nny wasn't in the room to make him talk, he wasn't going to. He knew that moment he'd locked up when Nny had offered a kiss was scary for Todd too. Every time one of them slipped like that they both suffered, even after it was resolved, if a wrong move was made, they both had a bit of trouble breathing. It wasn't that Johnny could kill them, or hurt them. It really wasn't that, they both understood that risk; it was a part of being close to him. It was the anger. Anger meant trouble, trouble meant hurt, and hurt was not good. The hurt was never physical for Todd, and seldom physical for Edgar. But that didn't make it any less terrifying, it made it more so.

"Todd, go shower," Edgar said, his words disjointed, "after that it's time for bed."

"Okay," Todd sprung out of his seat and out of the kitchen.

Edgar heard him stop into their bedroom to grab his pajamas, and then slam the bathroom door shut behind him. Next he heard the shower turn on. Edgar wiped down the table and dried off the clean dishes. After he'd put them away he pushed the chairs in, and went into the bedroom. He changed into his pajamas and slid under the worn thin comforter lying over top of the ancient mattress. The water eventually stopped, and then a few minutes later Todd appeared in the bedroom, dumping his dirty clothes on the floor in the corner.

Todd crawled into bed next to him, curling up with his face towards the dresser. Edgar took off his glasses, folding them shut on his shoulder before passing them to Todd. He then set them on the dresser. Edgar twitched and trembled, slowly letting out the stress in his aching muscles. As he shook, he could hear Todd's irregular breathing, and the tears he attempted to muffle. Soon, as they both settled, sleep drifted within their reach and they seized it. Of course, Todd covered the tear stains on the sheets with his arm, and wiped his face dry first, and Edgar laid his right wrist out to be held. They were okay. They were just fine.

Being grounded wasn't all bad, but the fact that he took the family car to go see Pepito, of all people, had been just plain stupid.

_What was I thinking?! Leaving Mr. Edgar with him...like that._ He repeatedly asked himself half heartedly, knowing that something did come out of it, whether it was good or not.

Nny finally snapping was a good sign in some ways, finally some kind of tension release had worked for him, and it had snapped Edgar out of his silence. It also meant Nny was coming upstairs frequently again, bringing a strange tension into the room for Todd. Edgar seemed fine with the regular appearances...and Todd couldn't help but feel stupid whenever the feelings arose. On top of it all, it meant Edgar had asked questions finally. Over the past month, the party, the nightmares, and him going to Pepito's were all dredged up more than once. Most often he was the one to do it. Yet another thing it had brought...Pepito's comforting (would he really call it that?) had left Todd confused for several reasons....

Todd didn't feel like approaching Pepito or his circle of friends, and was grateful they didn't notice him in the halls. School continued on quietly, small breaks in between classes allowed him to chat with Peter. Other than that he stayed pretty much to himself, drawn towards his mother. Nny was the only sporadic noise in the house (along with his stress relaxant victims). With tv, games and friends revoked, Todd spent most of his time on homework. When he grew bored of it he cooked with Mr. Edgar, or cleaned. After that...he began drifting to his stories.

It was something he hadn't done for a long time. No will and no want left Todd uninspired in more ways than one. He had started with scribbling random ideas, along with corresponding illustrations, and worked up to short stories again. It felt good, something like a diary...but not focused on his daily life. He had tried a diary once...it was boring. Writing was discouraged at school still, even in AP class environments, they knew what you should be writing and anything else was useless; a waste of time.

Todd had a lot of time to waste.

Upon attending school for the first time after the Homecoming fiasco, Pepito had found himself royally fucked.

Aside from the fact that his mother had embarrassed him beyond belief, and now he was a laughing stalk, his supposed date was also the talk of the town. Amanda's absence had not gone unnoticed, and neither had his scandalous dancing with countless other females. He was sure Amanda would return to school ready to give him an ear full (even though he had never actually asked her out) about his unfaithful deeds. That is...if she came back to school at all.

The brutal acts of violence committed on her friends had a heavy mental tole on Amanda and her parents had apparently been discussing the options for healing her. One of their prime choices being the old stand by, the D.H.M.I. _Great! Not only am I friends with a crazy, I dated one!_ It was all great gossip for others, but as he began slowly working his way back up, through many a thorough ass kissings and other such 'favors', the hissed whispers soon became much more apologetic...and in his favor. Once assured Pepito had nothing to do with Amanda's lapse in sanity, the other teens felt a sort of deluded pity he had been through such a thing.

More than anything he just wanted his powers back! It had been nearly a month now, and sill his father had yet to do the honors of restoring his much needed abilities. He had thus far gained a great deal of his status back with just his studies of human social development, and a much more subtle usage of...well, being a man-whore. Subtle whoring was not an easily acquired skill when you could do nothing to block the minds of others. Especially when grounded from weekend, or 'after school social activities', as his mother had so eloquently put it.

Todd was also still under close watch...though a strange form of it, and was none too sociable at school. First Pepito had suspected it had been his doing, possibly a hug hadn't been the best assurance? But somehow he didn't feel this was the main problem. Had something happened at home...something like Nny finally lashing out? He felt fairly certain his mother would have told him, but there had been a distinct lack of communication between the two families. The stress of a double grounding perhaps. Pepito hated being out of the loop for so many different things! He wasn't always the best guesser at them either....

He stirred idly at his mexi-cali, the ultimate fake home cooked Mexican meal, but it was always nice that mother tried to keep his heritage (if not slightly fake as well) in mind. With a few short stabbing motions into the chili-like substance, Pepito heard the chips cracking somewhere inside the mush.

"Oh, well it was just great to hear from you, dear! Had me a bit worried with all that silence, you know!"

His mother's peppy voice resounded from within the kitchen. She had been on the phone through out him eating, and had to be getting hungry herself. He could hear her next few sentences aiming towards the end of the conversation.

"Ok, bye bye now, I'll see you then!" -click-

There was the distinct sound of his mother collecting her own mexi-cali in a bowl, before clicking towards the table.

"Pepi, you've hardly eaten! I was on that phone for quite a while!"

"Just waiting to eat with you, mother." he had been relying on his manipulative speech for far too long...it was beginning to show at all times.

"Such a well mannered boy." She hummed to herself, while sitting daintily across from him. "Now, you'll never guess who that was."

"Another church pageant planning committee?" he mused, not looking up from his stirring.

"Mr. Edgar," She beamed.

Pepito clanged his spoon on the side of his bowl, sounding a quick, 'sorry'. His mother only cocked an eyebrow.

"So...uh...what- er how are they?" he asked before shoving in an unwanted bite of food.

"Just fine, Nny seems a bit quiet considering..." her gaze lingered on Pepito before she also took in a mouthful of mexi-cali.

"Uh...so what was the 'see you then' about?"

"Oh nothing too much, just Mr. Edgar confirming Thanks Giving dinner."

"Oh...OH!"

His mother seemed slightly surprised by the outburst.

"They're coming here?"

"Of course, Pepi, dear, are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, fine mom, I just...remembered I have a ton of homework." he began shoveling in his dinner, "thanks for the dinner."

He tossed his bowl into the sink, padding up the stairs. Mrs. Barbara sat, chewing thoughtfully. "He seems a bit odd...."

Now Pepito prided himself in the fact that not much scared him. He hadn't been a child with many nightmares or irrational fears. Todd had had plenty of those to keep both of their 'mothers' busy.

One thing he was...a little bit, just a little, afraid of was an enraged Johnny. Sure, it wouldn't mean too much if he was hurt, and his father was sure to have a quick reaction time for striking back, but that didn't help ease the damage it would cause. For one, Todd should never have to see Nny in anything close to his psychotic moods. Everyone in the two families agreed on this as an unspoken truth. Todd also would not be pleased to see Nny receiving Mr. Diablo's 'retort' taking place. Pepito doubted it would be helpful to their friendship.... Over all, he wasn't afraid of Johnny, he was afraid of the consequences triggered from the harsh, childish and self-centered acts he had a habit of performing.

Thanks Giving was sure to be a draining experience. How could he ensure a safe dining experience without using an elephant tranquilizer on his friend's father?! _Wait! Maybe he isn't that mad at me! I just need to play it safe then._ How could he not play safe when chained to his own house?

He needed to know how Nny had taken Todd's absence. It wasn't an option to ask Todd at school. He was on thin ice with his friends as it was. Perhaps he could just call Todd and see how they were doing. _Easy enough, right?_

He took a deep breath before reaching out for his cell phone, dialing the number from memory. Strange, considering how bad he was with remembering phone numbers.

There was a lingering silence before the phone began to ring. _What if Todd does't answer...do I leave a message?_ Riiing. _Oh, shit, what if Nny answers?!_ Riiing. _Why doesn't he have a freaking cell phone!?_ Riiing. _If Nny answers...theres no way he'll let me talk to Todd!_ Riiin- _Would Edgar even let me talk to him?_ "...Hello?" -click-

Nny had answered the phone.... _I...am so lame._ Pepito fell back onto his bed, sighing up at his ceiling fan. _Damn it._ He chewed nervously at his inner cheek, fiddling with the cell phone, still loosely held in his hand. _Should I call again...? Maybe wait a bit...._

Deciding to wait at least ten minutes, Pepito turned away from his door, pulling down his pillow only to curl around it. _This is so dumb! Its just Todd, and its not like Nny can leap out of the phone and strangle me!_

He fumbled blindly for the remote, knowing he had left it somewhere near the pillows, Pepito turned the T.V. on. Something to keep his mind occupied. One of the greatest brainwashing, mind numbingly entertaining devices ever built. Of course, his father had played a helping hand in it all. It was such a convenience, nothing like trying to coerce someone into writing a book...when half the populace couldn't read. At least, thats what his father had said.

Every few seconds he glanced back at the clock. _7 minutes...close enough, right?_

He punched in the numbers, trying not to think. Riiing.... Riiing.... Riiing.... Riiing....Riiing.... _What if they have caller ID!?_ "hel-" _Shit, Nny!_ -click-

_...cell phones come in as private numbers. Damn it!...Again!_ Pepito grumbled in frustration, burying his head under the pillow.

_ok...you can do this. You can do this! _ He sat up on his shins, growling at the small plastic phone in his grip. _Bring it!_ He jammed his finger down on the call button, remembering only upon the sound of ringing that he should bring the phone to his face. Riiing.... _ Wait...why was I even calling?_ "Hello...?" _Todd!_ "...Hellooo?"

Pepito panicked, glancing around the room for something anything that could give him a clue. TV always had answers!

"Hey, I know someones there I hear you...." Todd stuttered in his mock confidence.

'Now at Bargin Mart! High quality Turkey for low quality prices! BUY BUY BUY!' _Thanks Giving! Nny!_

"Ok, I'm hanging up no-"

"Todd!"

"...."

"H-hey, so uh, hows Nny been about you being grounded?" _Well, that came out retarded._

"...Sorry, we don't want any."

"No, Todd, hey, we should uh hang out or something, before Thanks Giving Dinner!"

"No, we already have cable."

"What are you talking abou-"

"Not interested."

-click-

"...." _What the hell just happened?_

"See Edgar, I told you!" Nny raved, gripping onto Mr. Edgar's back, digging in his spindly claws.

"Ugh, gah, what!?" he barked around his pained expression.

"The telemarketers! They've started to recognize me! I told you this would happen!!" Nny howled, nearly piggy backed on Mr. Edgar, who was still making a valiant effort to clean the kitchen counters.

"Uh... I'm gunna go back to bed, kay?"

"Sure, sure, squeejee!" Nny quipped before picking back up on his ranting.

He had been roughly stirred out of his rather peaceful rest by Nny, pulled into the hall way and had a phone shoved against his face.

Shuffling back towards the bedroom, and out of Nny's watchful gaze, Todd began to let his mind wander to the phone call. _What the hell was he thinking calling me!?_

Todd threw himself back onto the worn mattress, pleading for his sweet dreams to return. But as time passed Todd slowly realized he was not drifting back into his safe zone, no, he was stuck in the land of conscious thought. _Maybe if I just...drink some warm milk._ Todd always drifted back to the same old methods Mr. Edgar had used for him. Reminded of those methods, Todd curled tight in the bedding, managing to wrap himself entirely in the warm burrito of blankets. He let out a tense sigh, relaxing into his pillow, eyes drifting shut.

_...This is not working._ Todd could feel it all over now. He wouldn't stop wondering over that stupid phone call until he confronted Pepito. _Should I really care...? Am I really going to climb out of my safe warm bed to go make up some lame excuse trying to get far enough away to call? Really? Thats just stupid._

- - - - - - -

"Mr. Edgar?"

"Yes Todd?"

"I...could really use a freezie."

"Todd, its nearly-" Edgar pleaded up at Todd wearily. But it was too late, he had said the magic word, an they both knew it. A muffled cry of 'Did someone say freezie!?' came from what seemed to be directly below their feet.

"Yes, Nny, are you busy?" Todd shouted, hoping he would have caught him in the middle of a torture he actually cared about.

Silence indicated an internal battle as Nny pondered his wants and needs.

"Its ok, I'll go get um!" he cried, feeling triumphant, "want some taco hell while I'm out?!"

"Squeejee!!" the expectant cry was shrill on his ear drums, but Todd help back his cringe.

Mr. Edgar began peeling himself from the couch, no doubt crying inside.

"No, I'll go. You're really tired Mr. Edgar."

"You sure...?" he seemed suspicious.

"Yeah, its just a quick drive..and you really do look tired."

"Ugh...nn." on that loving note, his mother slumped forward and began the 'long' trek to bed.

_Nny might start watching the cell phones to see about that whole 'telemarketers watching' thing...gah, does Taco Hell even have a pay phone?!_ he wandered around collecting his shoes, keys, jacket and all the while carrying on his own internal battle. _Should I even call him back!? Theres only a few days till Thanksgiving! Impatient ass!_ All the same Todd trudged out to the car, shivering in the cool night air. Maybe he should have changed out of his pajamas?

- - - - - -

The drive over didn't give Todd too long to think. Mostly leaving him even more unsure as time passed by. Finally he rounded the corner, Taco Hell coming into sight. He had never before been so glad to have a 'drive thru' menu to distract him.

Placing his order and following the curve forward, Todd tried to recall what Pepito had been saying as he had repeatedly cut him off. _Something about Nny and him being grounded...hanging...dinner...talking._ He paused to hand the gorily over-acned teen his money, and dropped the tacos on the passenger seat. _Really? Thats all I got out of that? ...Wait a second._ Hanging, dinner, talking...what the hell had Pepito been asking him? Either another party was taking place, or he was asking him...to dinner. _I am so not ready for another party. Wait...what was my other option?_

"Time for freezies!" He shrieked to the air around him, speeding down the nearly deserted roads. He made record time to the small convenience store. Stepping outside he realized his car was currently taking up 2 spaces. _...Nice._ Glancing up from his parking job, Todd noticed a pay phone right up against the building. How had he never seen it in all the years of walking here? _...Never really needed a pay phone before. Just when I'm **hiding** and telling my parents **lies.**_

Todd mechanically walked through the store, filling 3 cups full of the sweet slush and, with a fair amount of juggling items, made his way to the front counter.

After paying the man, and more defying feats of balance he did not posses, Todd unloaded the freezies into the car, save for his own. He walked up to the pay phone, wondering just how many germs were on the filthy thing. He dug through his pockets for his phone, and exact change.

He cringed as music blared out of the cheap phone, its speakers crackling. _Stupid ringback tones...._ Todd took slow sips of his freezie, thinking about how cold he was yet continuing to drink.

"Jeez, Pepito, I thought you practically slept with this thing...."

"Ello?"

"...Hey."

"...." _why doesn't he know its m- oh, pay phone._

"...Todd?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Hey, weird number, sorry! I didn't recognize it...its really weird-"

"Pay phone."

"Ah...um, so whats up?"

"Dunno, you called me remember?" He set his freezie on top of the phone's rain cover, to rub awkwardly at his arm.

"Yeah...yeah I did." incoherent mumbling followed.

"Huh?"

"just, uh, yeah so...."

"Ok really-"

"Hows home?" Pepito blurted out.

"Ok. You?"

"Good."

"...." This was getting ridiculous. Why wouldn't get just get to the point already?

"So are you-"

"Pepi, do you have a point here, I'm freezing."

"Freez... oh! You're outside!"

"Hence the pay phone, yes."

"So...you're out.... You want to uh, hang out?"

Why did he have to feel this weird about it? Stupid Pepito going on and on....

"Um, actually I'm on a food run.

"...."

"Gotta get home and all that."

"Right! Right...of course. Well...."

"Hey, I'll see you at school ok?" Todd had had his fill of the unsettled feeling in his stomach, and was quite ready for the conversation to end.

"...s-sure...." he crooned, far from his usual cocky replies.

_Okay, thats far enough right there!_

"Bye." He slammed the phone down, gripping his freezie tight to himself, once more.

"Stupid..ito..gran...rrugh!" he wiggled back to his car, putting far too much emphasis on the meaningless sounds.

As his engine roared to life, Todd pulled out of the parking lot, running over several curbs.

'Remember, Squeejee! Those are only there to stop stupid people from ramming their cars through buildings! We aren't stupid, so its okay if WE do it!'

"...I remember Nny." yet another deep sigh filled the car. "Man...I bet those tacos are cold now...."

**A/N: COMMENT. I typed that much, leave me a sentence or two! Even reprimands! Bring it!**


	13. Chapter 13 Dear, There'd be no other

Department Of Motor Vehicles  
Ch. 13 Dear, There'd Be No Other (Yet Here We Are At The Auto Dealer....)

**Review please** (this chapters really long, sorry)

Every year it was the same old routine. Get up, prepare food, get dressed, listen to Edgar mumble about how 'he wished they'd dress up' and Nny rant about how it was evil or bad for some odd reason. At least the reasons changed annually. Next, as expected it was off to the Diablo's.

Today Nny was especially exuberant on the drive over.

"You know, Edgar, I bet- I bet we could find their numbers!" He clawed at Mr. Edgar's long sleeve.

"Nny...I'm driving."

"Yes, yes, BUT! We could- we could call _them_ and see why they aren't calling _me_ anymore!"

"Nny you do realize-" He was cut off, but Mr. Edgar never really talked to be heard in Nny's rambling, just to fill the provided gaps.

"Why aren't they calling!? Why aren't they trying to sell me things? Its their **job** Edgar!"

"I know."

"It's their **job** to sell me things! I should- I should complain to their manager!" Nny exclaimed as if he had reached a definite decision on the pressing matter.

Thankfully they pulled into the Diablo's drive way, distracting Nny momentarily from his rantings. The trade off was hardly worth it, considering what awaited him. _Ugh...Pepito...._ He wasn't...mad at Pepito per say. No it was just awkward, and he was beginning to grow tired of it. Really, why did he have to call him when he had _nothing_ to say? Then he had asked for them to hang out...when he was grounded! A perfectly good excuse to not have to see each other! The entire reasoning behind his putting up with Pepito was to work towards his 'popularity' and so far it had just been a series of face plants into the dirt.

He warily followed after his parents, saddened further by the fact that such great food would be presented to him soon and he wouldn't be able to fully enjoy it.

Nny didn't even bother knocking, allowing them entry far before Todd was ready.

"There you are! Now Edgar dear, I have the oven on for that yummy chicken goo!"

"Thank you Barbara, I'll have to see just whats wrong with ours first thing."

"Juan! You made it!" Nny boomed, scampering off to the living room just as the other two headed for the kitchen.

Mrs. Barbara paused to inform him that 'Pepito was in his room'. The obvious 'not an option' quality of the scenario made him consider following Nny into the living room for a friendly chat with Satan. But, inevitably he made his way up the stairs and into the room.

Upon opening the door Todd's eyes were assaulted by the familiar image of Pepito wrenching off his floral printed apron.

"O-oh, Todd! Ha, well so much for saving my dignity!" He laughed stiffly, tossing the accursed apron across the room.

_Not that there was anything left to save, Pepi..._ Todd laughed to himself.

Pepito fidgeted around with his rumpled shirt, focused on his own fingers. Todd watched only for a moment before a thought dawned on him. Video games. He hadn't played any in over a month! It was also a great way to avoid Pepito talking to him....

He tried to keep from prancing as he drew near the fully loaded entertainment system, searching for new games. He rummaged around in the 'new games' box, until he found his prize. _YES! Harvest Sun: Bush of Gentility! Oh...but he has Animal X-ing too! ...Choices...._ He stared silently, thinking through the pressing matter at hand. _Harvest Sun, you win again...._He thought smugly, inserting it into the Uss console before propelling backwards onto the bed...and slamming into something.

That something was a very disgruntle Pepito.

"Oh-ugh, my nose," he wriggled out from under Todd, pinching at his nose.

"Why were you on the bed!?"

"On _my_ bed?! Oh gee, I don't know, what **was** I thinking?"

"Well...are you bleeding?" Todd moved to reach for Pepito's hand.

"I don't know," he jerked away, probably heading for the bathroom, "Don't worry about it I'm fine."

"Ah...." Todd watched the door awkwardly till a quiet tzz, similar to that of a taser going off, alerted him that the console was ready for use. "Yay!"

_I am not irritated...I am not irritated._ Pepito calmly stared back at himself the best he could around the damp washcloth.

No real damage, and he knew Todd hadn't meant to propel backwards into his face.... He tossed the rag into the sink, turning back towards his door. A strangled cry of 'I just want my ostrich!' could be heard down the hall. Maybe he just needed a breather.

Pepito peaked into the living room to find all the parental units, minus his mother. Twisting around, he slumped on towards the kitchen. Sure enough, there was the definite sound of her heels clicking about on the hard wood flooring. Pepito stopped at the doorway, his current lack of self esteem was made apparent as he nervously raised a hand to rub at the other, eyes fixed on the floor.

"...Ahem...mother?"

"I was wondering how long you'd just stand there," she squinted down at the measuring spoon.

"Need...uh...need any help?"

"Well, I wouldn't refuse it."

"Um…"

"Why don't you chop the potatoes dear?"

_Potatoes…_ Pepito thought wearily, recalling the moment earlier that week where he'd knocked over dozens of them. They were already peeled, mercifully enough, so he grabbed the larger chopping knife that his mother wasn't using and took to splitting the earthy tubers while he tried to find his voice. His mother was patient and carried on with her Southern style stuffing (Pepito hated the kind people insisted on cooking inside the bird) as if she wasn't really reading his mind. _This is ridiculous, she doesn't even have telepathy like father and me._ he reminded himself forcefully, _Then how does she know everything? Maybe I should start wearing tin foil hats._

"Mom, um, so has Mr. Edgar mentioned anything to you about Todd's grounding situation, ya know, like parent to parent conspiring maybe?"

"No, not really dear, though I suppose you could always ask him yourself," she smiled innocently.

Pepito sighed, "But wouldn't that be rude, 'n weird, to just start asking about their home life?"

"Well you just asked me, sweetie and you know how I feel about that sort of gossiping, so I'm sure you'll be able to ask Edgar just fine, now won't you?"

Pepito stiffened, having forgotten entirely that his mother was not the type to gossip behind someone's back, ever. She gave him a bemused look and told him that he shouldn't cut the potatoes into such small pieces. He corrected himself and wondered if his mother secretly enjoyed torturing him.

"Pumpkin-nose," his mother started, "the way I see it is, you could keep dancing around this and try to get information out of me that I don't have or you could just go ask the man yourself."

"Alright, I get it," Pepito mumbled, about to leave the kitchen.

"But, you could do one better and just ask Todd, you being so blunt may just throw him for enough of a loop that you'll get your answer."

Pepito laughed and nodded to his mother, agreeing with her on the outside and yet internally he was wondering how the woman could even think that he would broach the subject with Todd. Oddly enough, though he didn't feel overwhelmingly secure he did feel better knowing that asking Edgar wouldn't be nearly as horrible as trying to talk to Todd about it. So perhaps that was his mother's strategy, to boost his confidence in a roundabout way.

Pepito strode into the living room with only the slightest of hunches to his shoulders. His father greeted him and Nny gave him a look that could have been a glare or it could have been an expression of violent glee. Pepito chose to not think about it. Instead he made his way over to Mr. Edgar who was sitting on the couch looking as if someone had replaced his spine with a steel rod to keep him as tense as possible. He was staring at nothing and his hands were folded primly in his lap

Taking a seat down next to the less intimidating parent of his friend, Pepito unknowingly imitated Mr. Edgar's tense posture though he wrung his hands in his anxiety. He faced the stoic faced man and opened his mouth to speak.

"What are you doing down here, Pepito?" Mr. Edgar asked him abruptly. He looked at him, his eyes suddenly alive whereas they'd been empty before.

"Oh, um…I just thought…I'd um, check in with my mom and…"

"Well I think she's in the kitchen-"

"Oh I already found her," Pepito cut in.

"So…um…anything I can help you with?" Mr. Edgar sounded so awkward it hurt. Pepito laughed nervously and scratched his head.

"Yeah…I don't wanna pry or anything but, um, I'm really sorry about the other day ya know, when Todd came over, but I know he was sort of freaked, and I haven't heard from him, so I was wondering, ya know, if he's doing okay…"

_Holy crap that sounded awful…_

"He's doing okay, as okay as he's going to be for a while; I think he's going to have his friend Peter over sometime soon, which would be good for him. I know he's supposed to be grounded and all, but he just seems so…gone, I think he deserves to have at least one day off from grounding," Mr. Edgar didn't sound much better, and scratched the back of his neck. Pepito suddenly felt a kinship to the man and smiled gratefully at him even though inwardly he was grumbling at the idea of Peter spending even more time with Todd. It was good for him to have a friend, but _Pepito_ wanted to be that friend.

"Hmm, oh well, I guess that is probably a good idea. I'm glad to see he's branching out, ya know, making friends outside the family and all," Pepito made a sort of 'way to go' motion with his arm that ended up looking more like something from the 50's and he cringed as did Mr. Edgar.

Unfortunately Mr. Edgar wasn't cringing at Pepito's regression to an earlier era but rather at his choice of words, "Todd may have had problems _'branching out'_ in the past, but I think he's ready to put that all behind him, and that Peter is just the start of a much better time for him. This is, it's…it's really a good thing for him. I'm sure Nny is glad to see him having a social scene _'outside the family'_, too, Pepito."

Pepito's clasped his sweaty hands together as he blushed, looking to his knees for some sort of clue as to what he should say next.

"Uh, well, ya know, he's still grounded, right? I should go, uh, make sure he's not playing video games!"

He hadn't intended to speak that loudly, and when Johnny and his father glanced towards them (Nny with a venomous glare, and his father with a roll of his eyes), he hunched his shoulders.

"Pepito?" Mr. Edgar drawled, his eyelids already drooping, a sure sign that he was pulling back into his shell.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Just go."

"Yessir!" Pepito yelped, flinging himself gracelessly from the couch and towards the stairs.

_That couldn't have gone any worse…._

Pepito stopped short of the door, trying to recall his mothers words from several weeks ago. _something about Todd not being here if he didn't wanna be...or I'm dumber than a post._ Funny how he remembered that last part just fine.

Collecting himself, Pepito shoved the door open and, striding towards the bed, collapsing on it as casual as possible behind Todd. The boy seemed unphased and Pepito felt surprisingly triumphant to be less than a foot away from Todd without being in the process of a fight.

"Oh hell no, do not think you're coming in all of a sudden to steal my woman! That is **my** potential mate!"

"...You sure are into this game," Pepito mused, finding it funny that Todd could make the cutest, simplest game and make it seem intense. "wait, how the hell did you get this far so fast?!"

"Hee hee," Todd chuckled airily, kicking his feet over the edge of the bed, "Peter taught me a few new cheats."

"Oh...." Pepito felt guilty at the amount of emotion that brought up in him. It was stupid, for one he was trying to help Todd make friends, so a gamer friend is a good thing. _He could make friends on his own...._ It couldn't be such a petty reason as that could it? _He wouldn't need me to get friends then. But Todd wanted to be normal, I'm helping him be normal, right?_ Pepito shifted awkwardly on the bed, realizing there were probably easier ways than dragging him through all his preferred type of social activities.

"Hey, Todd why didn't you call back?" _...Shit, that was out loud wasn't it._

"...I dunno, busy." Todd answered without taking his eyes off the screen.

_Busy with that whole lot of nothing your allowed to do?_

"Its fine and whatever, its just...seems weird to uh...." Pepito tried to will his mother to appear in the door and halt his fail train before it totally derailed.

"Pepit-"

"I mean to not call back you'd have to be...mad or something. I thought we were cool?"

"Uh, I...I don't-"

"Its just a simple question." _I wonder if I'm a masochist?_ He mused watching Todd writhe under his constant chattering questions.

"I...guess." Todd scooted further towards the edge of the bed, away from him.

_Yeah, sure._ "...So...uh how...how has Nny been?" It was a blind hope that Todd might want to talk about Nny not necessarily being some father figure but a living nightmare. It was a stupid, blind hope.

"Good...." The uncertainty of Todd's statement seeped through the single word.

It couldn't be easy holding in all that shit he knew Nny was (probably) doing, had been doing, around Todd. When they were little Todd would always come tell Pepito anything he 'really didn't like'. After Todd's first remembrance of just who Johnny was, he had started sleeping over a lot more often. _Not that that lasted long...._ But if he wasn't telling Pepito anymore, he was sure he couldn't tell Peter. The guy's father was a cop, and no matter how untouchable Nny was, that said little for the policeman's safety, and Todd knew it. _That can't be mentally healthy to hold in...so there's a...small chance this wont piss him off_

"I mean how has he...been towards you?"

"He...." An awkward stillness filled the room, Todd's controller mashing stopped entirely.

He waited patiently, hoping Todd would actually respond in coherent words, if not sentences.

"He...what?" Pepito offered quietly.

Todd's suddenly stiffened back was not a comforting sight, but Pepito really did want to know if Todd was doing okay.

"Todd?"

"**FUCK**, Pepito! Just **shut up**!" Todd jerked off of the bed, chucking the controller at him, "I DON'T fucking know! Back off!"

He didn't waste time slamming the door on his way out, and Pepito knew that was something to be thankful for today. The sound would have instantly alerted his mother, not that she wouldn't sense it from the hate Todd would radiate at dinner. Minutes ago he had been dieing for his mothers intervention, but somehow this whole thing felt entirely his fault. Perhaps it wasn't, but either way he felt much safer in his room, letting Todd stew alone in his, no doubt, extra pissed off thoughts. _Dumb, dumb, dumb! He was just fine up here, what the hell is my problem?! ...Hind sight...20x20, and all that._

"Pepitooo! Dinner!"

Apparently Thanksgiving dinner had waited just long enough for him to make an ass of himself. _Gee, I sure am **Thankful** today...._

Pepito took his time heading down to the dinner table. Todd had scrambled to grab a chair far as possible from him. But the two families were big on tradition. Tiny little name tags were placed on their 'appropriate' dinner settings, Mrs. Barbara's beautiful scrawl locking him next to Pepito as was usual. If he switched them around he knew she would be quick to simply correct the pathetic, feigned error. _Fine. It doesn't mean I have to talk to him or anything._ Todd dropped down into the chair, intent on watching the ornate centerpiece the entire night if need be.

Once everyone had settled at the table, and food was properly placed, Mrs. Diablo and Edgar bowed their heads for a quick prayer, a tradition they still honored from their own upbringings, while the rest waited respectfully. Todd watched his father in prayer, then, just for curiosity, stole a quick look at Pepito. Without stopping to think, Todd quickly lowered his head in imitation of the two Christians. He didn't even have time to think of the proper way to chat with the good lord, when he felt all eyes on him, even his 'fellow' prayers. _Well this is unsettling...._ He focused on the back of his eyelids, extremely pleased that the lord demanded closed eyes for communication. _Something lord in heaven...hallowed be thy name...something kingdom? Wait, that's not the same thing as like a dinner prayer is it...? Frick, stop staring at me!_ Todd had slowly felt the other's eyes drifting off of him, but he knew one pair was still fixated; those masked, bi colored eyes. He could only imagine the look on Pepito's face right then. Offended shock, perhaps? Annoyance? Todd eased his eyes open when he felt the faux-prayer had lasted long enough, seeing Mrs. Barbara finish just as he had, a wide smile spread over her face. Was it just him, or did that smile look...a little too wide?

He cocked his head just enough to see if Pepito had noticed his mother's expression as well. Apparently not, as he still sat fully turned in his seat to face Todd. He carried the same look of confusion as the rest of the table, but there was something else, and it wasn't the childish anger he had anticipated. Just confusion, a certain air of curiosity...yet the hint of a pained twisting to his face. Todd knew that look...he'd seen it before, but only a few times. It was never a good sign. _ I didn't even really pray! Ahg!_ Feeling much too much like he had just smacked a child, Todd tried to turn his attention elsewhere. But had he mean to hurt Pepito? Was that the goal of that stupid mimicry? He certainly hoped not...the thought made him feel all wrong. _Wanting to hurt someone...? No...I really didn't think about it! I just, I- just wanted to see id...._ He still didn't know what.

A sudden tap on his shoulder had him jumping out of his skin, and bashing his his knees against the dinning table. He had been staring vacantly at Pepito for how long now? Once again all eyes were on him...it was getting old fast. Confusion was still plastered on Edgar and Juan's faces, while Barbara repeated a question, for what was probably not the first time, to Todd.

"Sweety, giblet gravy, do you want any?"

Apparently she had begun to dish his plate up, he was the last to pick at the foods.

"Y-yes sure, thank you."

Avoiding Pepito like he had originally planned to do, Todd glanced around through the awkward air he had created. _Pepito created! Not me!_ He continued to reason with himself, till he found himself caught by Nny's tractor beam of a gaze. It was sucking him in with no means of escape! On thing he was thankful for today...was the distance from himself to Nny. The hateful warning glare was by far enough to melt his very face off if he had been any closer. He wasn't sure what he had done this time to attract the _fatherly_ warning that terrified him to no end, but he certainly didn't want to do it again.

_Food, food...just focus on the food!_ Todd forcefully jerked his head away, staring out at the table's spread. Mrs. Barbara's Southern influenced Thanksgiving style had always managed to blend in Mr. Edgar's particular style as well, accommodating for the fact that they all weren't necessarily enthralled with one over the other. The gravy had taken a few years for Todd to grow used to. There was something sickening about eating so many random parts, and insides of the turkey...true that it tasted nothing like how he had imagined organs to taste when he was little, and he tried to frequently remind himself it was a good thing. They were using nearly the whole animal this way. Most of all he tried not to think about it.

There were al;ways the saved favorites, such as Mr. Edgar's chicken casserole goo, green bean casserole, fried okra, and the sweet yams covered with marshmallows. But every year the two cooks managed to bring in new dishes, or variations of something they had all tried before. It always made for a more interesting meal. Of course there was the turkey, the main traditional dish, and the preparer swapped every year between the two. This year had been Mrs. Barbara's turn, meaning a separate stuffing, and a particular taste to the turkey. Todd didn't have a preference on who cooked the turkey...but he would admit to preferring his mother's stuffing to the odd cornbread mix.

Todd followed Mrs. Barbara's movements as she lowered his full plate to the table in front of him. He wiggled appreciatively, grabbing for his fork as a wispy, "Thank you Mrs. Barbara." broke his silence amongst the table's chatter. Todd wasted no time digging into his plate, happy to hear Pepito's fork clinking softly against his own plate just to his left. No matter how mad he ever got...dinners were nice. They stayed rather predictable in their flow, and it always managed to sooth him to some degree. It was when he felt best around Pepito, never actually having to interact, but he was still there. Silence just worked best for them...why couldn't Pepi see that?

_Friends...._another side glance he hoped he had managed to cover up by taking a large gulp of water, _it's been four years now, why go ba- wait we were never friends! Why change after 9 years? Thats what I meant...._ Todd rambled on to himself, shoveling piles of assorted foods into his mouth, keeping himself from groaning out loud at his retarded brain function. _Just...stop thinking! Its that easy!_ He tried to stare at the ornate center piece, but soon found that the lack of attention made for messy eating, so he opted to stare down his fork instead.

Just as he was considering more yams, he felt the tingling sensation of being dragged into the 'grown up' talk going on around him. _whyyyy!?_

"I'm sorry, what was that Mrs. Barbara?"

"Todd, sweety, I said how are you doing in school? Pepi doesn't sit and chat with me about it too often." she pouted in a way that kept you guessing at its intent.

"Its...fine."

"Fine?"

Todd set his fork down, moving his hands to his lap. She didn't seem too pleased with his answer, and that meant further questioning. _I need to work on my lying._  
"I'm sorry dear, but what were the classes you took this year? Somehow it slipped my mind!"

"Thats ok, Mrs. Barbara. I took honors English, world history, French four, biology," he listed off his schedule in order.

"French four? I thought you were only in second last year?"

"Nah, thats right, I skipped a year." Todd knew it was a mistake to ever feel too comfortable when it seemed like Mrs. Barbara was unhappy...but she was good at putting you at ease.

"Wow, and how is that going? I can't imagine it being easy to skip a year of a language."

"Actually Todd's pretty good at the languages, his teacher suggested the jump." Mr. Edgar chimed in, smiling at him.

Truthfully...his grades were pretty good in all his classes. Did he understand the French teacher? Kind of. Was he really good at French? Not really. Todd just knew when to say what and how to fill in blanks on tests. That was just the way it worked at their high school, no matter the subject or how nice the teacher was. It all boiled down to who could regurgitate best, and Todd had learned how to keep out of their way after the first month in school. He had even been sent to detention from the history teacher. He didn't like Todd trying to bring up a philosopher from the current age they had been studying. He had been 'disrupting and distracting' his fellow classmates. Nny was pretty proud, but Mr. Edgar didn't love the idea of Todd's junior high record for detention continuing on.

"So aside from silly classes, how goes the important things?" Mrs. Barbara tittered, smiling at Mr. Edgar who apparently did get the joke.

"...Huh?"

"Oh you know the-"

"She means social stuff, Todd." Pepito groaned.

_social stuff...what am I supposed to say to that? The last social thing I did ended with...well jeez she knows! So why ask?_

Locked under her happy gaze Todd squirmed a bit, trying to think of a passive answer.

"If you don't care to talk about it thats fine, Todd dear, its just most teens I've ever chatted with would rather talk about those things than 'boring school'." She picked up her fork once more, turning her attention, at least partially, to her food.

"N-no, I just...I'm not sure what you mean?" Todd glanced at his mother for help but saw that Juan was lightly addressing him, something that rarely happened and he thought best to not interrupt.

"Friends, silly teen talk, girls...." Pepito piped up once more, before slouching over his plate. It was obvious he was trying to stay out of the actual conversation while still translating.

"Oh...Oh! Uh, friends are fine, no...silly teen talk," Todd grimaced at the wording, "and ah..no girls, Mrs. Barbara."

"Hm, so about the trends going on...." Mrs. Barbara was staring at Pepito, so Todd assumed it was no longer his question and he was free to eat in peace.

_Thank god she didn't ask me about trends. What the hell would I know?!_

"Pepi, you didn't tell me religion was coming back."

_This can't be good._

"Relig-" Pepito was cut off by his mother.

"I assume thats what it is, Todd? A prayer trend?"

Now Todd remembered why he feared Mrs. Diablo...she really was Satan's wife.

"I- ah, its not, er I don't really think...." What was he _supposed_ to say? 'No, sorry about that! I was just kinda messing around, insulting your religion, and your son, all in one. My bad?'

"You and Mr. Edgar will have to come to church with me sometime! It'll be like a girl day." With that she flashed one last bright smile before turning her attention to his mother.

_Ffffuck! And...did she just call me a girl!?_ To his left, Todd could hear a soft chuckle. _Pepito...._ He turned slowly to glare at the boy, thoroughly pissed off at all the unwelcome treatment he had been receiving that day.

"Funny, Pepito?" He hissed quietly.

"Ah, Amigo, lighten up. Besides..." his face turned a bit darker, "church is such an appropriate place to pray."

Something a kin to running into a invisible wall...the venom in Pepito's words knocked Todd down a few more pegs.

"I wasn't-"

"Oh Todd!"

_Whaaaaat do you waaant, Mrs. Barbara?!_ He felt like screaming 'leave me alone!'...but knew that wouldn't go over very well.

"Look at that face, and on Thanks Giving day! Aren't you just the sourest pumpkin-nose in the patch?" It was said cutely, near baby talk in its tone and somehow impossibly degrading.

Nny's eyes were on him in a second, this time he knew what his...dad wanted. He forced a sheepish grin, "Sorry, Ma'am."

"Even Pepi's happy, and lately thats saying something for the dear!"

Now it was Pepito's turn to fake the submissive face. They must have looked ridiculous, perfectly mirrored images from the forced smiles and hunched shoulders to their writhing hands under the table.

"Sorry, mother."

"No need to apologize, boys. I'm sure you have your reasons."

_...Why is she so good at guilt!? It doesn't even make sense that I'd be freaking guilty!_

"Oh before I forget! Juan and I are going on a little trip on Monday, we were wondering-"

"Watching, Pepito, of course Barbara." Johnny grinned, sweeping his arms to the side for emphasis. Yet another smile that made you worry of its purpose....

Todd felt Pepito shudder next to him, and wanted to take the chance to point and laugh...but this was no joyous turn of events. He cringed at the idea of having to be around Pepito for extended periods of time. He'd probably try to continue the stupid questions.

"Its just till the eight, and we may be back sooner," Juan smiled at Mrs. Barbara, "But it will probably be the eighth."

_Eight days!? Oh come on!_ Todd slumped back in his chair, and crossed his arms, cursing himself as Pepito's actions once more mirrored his own. He felt a sharp kick at his leg, and flinched back to a proper sitting position, begging for dinner to end. _Damn Nny has long legs...._ One thing he and Pepito could always try bonding over...was their pure hatred for this particular dinner.

Desert passed by agonizingly slow, but no one directly addressed him, nor Pepito, so they sat quiet, stewing in hatred. As soon as they were released from the table, Todd made an excuse to avoid alone time in Pepito's room. He 'had something in his eye,' and therefor spent the next forty-five minutes in the bathroom trying to wash it out. By then it was time to leave, and Todd stood uneasily in the door way as 'goodnight's were exchanged. Pepito was so determined as to say his from the top of the stairs before retreating back into his room.

As they all slid into the car, Mr. Edgar driving, Nny let out a sigh, smiling at the other two. "What a great dinner, huh?"

"...Yeah, Nny." _Just great...._

**_review~ :D  
_**


	14. Chapter 14 No One Could Come Between

Dream With Me  
Ch. 14 No one could come between

Pepito sat, eyes stubbornly closed, trying to meditate his way into a coma for at least a few hours. It was the fourth- no, the fifth of December, considering it was already three a.m., and he still had Friday to get through the school week. He wasn't ever one to hate going to school, but when staying at Todd's, after one day of school it felt like a full month of stress had settled right on his shoulders. Not only did he have to be around Todd, and sleep on a crappy couch, he had to deal with Nny.

Johnny had inserted himself on the edge of Pepito's makeshift bed every night thus far, and he knew tonight would be no different. That didn't make the unnecessarily loud infomercials playing till dawn any more acceptable.

He was finally starting to tune it out, becoming accustomed to the over enthusiastic man selling some miracle cooker, and drifting to blessed sleep. Whether it was the meditation attempt that did the trick eluded him, not that he really cared. _Oh sweet gracious slee-_

-click-

The bedroom door had opened, and before he could catch himself, Pepito jerked upright just in time to watch Squee's disjointed, minimal effort shuffling towards the bathroom. Slowly lowering himself down, he avoided the hateful glare he could feel emanating off of the maniac at his feet.

"I'd kill you, you know."

_That's sure a way to waste time._

"I can practically smell it."

"...?" _Why can't crazy people stop talking after midnight?_

"Your disgusting intent." With that Nny sprung from the couch, an angry hip-swish to his walk.

_what intent!? I just want to help him, you psycho!_ He scoffed over the stupidity of Johnny's threatening comment. Yet it still managed to keep him awake long after Nny had disappeared to the basement, Todd had returned to bed, and the silence of the house had become deafening.

* * *

"Hey man, not to be a prick...but haven't you been walking to school with that weird kid like...every day?"

"Uh...yes." Oh the blessings of observant friends.

"Wait, isn't that the guy from the game?" Jeff quipped.

"Hey yeah, he...like...went to _the_ party, right?"

"I think, but...let's not talk about that."

None of the people present for the slaughter party ever chose to directly talk about it, which was fine for Pepito. As sleep deprived as he was, it was better for him to make minimal comments.

"Hey Pep, why hasn't he come around at all? He wasn't _that_ bad," Logan asked while distractedly staring at his cafeteria pizza.

"Just freakishly quiet."

Sara smiled calmly, "Now, now, Jeff, be nice."

"Okay so, freakishly quiet...in a nice way."

At that the boys seated at the table chuckled. Sara simply rolled her eyes, turning to Pepito.

"So? What happened?"

"Eh that was his first party so...." Pepito trailed off, chewing dully on his hamburger.

"He get scared of from the weird whatever that happened?"

Sara had been one of the lucky kids outside (and _stayed_ outside), missing out on the whole mess.

"Shit, man! I wouldn't wanna go to another if that happened often!" Carlos shivered, receiving a glare from one of the girls that had asked not to talk about it.

"Yeah, that's probably what it was. He's shy and all." Pepito coughed, trying to drop the conversation.

"Well if you're walking to school you must chill or something?" Sara wasn't having it. Girls and their stupid drama.

"Yeah, or something."

"You should bring him to the table, let him know we aren't a bunch of scary monsters!" She laughed cheerily, several of the females mimicked her.

"Yeah, I'll have to do that...."

Since Amanda had left the group, the position of alpha-female was up for grabs. Because Pepito had been quick on his feet he was safe, still holding his rank of top dog...of the B group. He knew it was best here, but sometimes the challenge of ruling A group really drew him in. Hell, Derek Steinem had nothing on him! He had a house on the lake, where Pepito had summer houses all over the globe!

That was besides the point...it was fun to watch the girls fight not only for the top position but, if they were to miss the opportunity, to stay in good favor of the girl that did come out first. They didn't have to be dating the most popular guy, and doing that alone certainly didn't guarantee you any affection from the others, but it couldn't hurt their chance. That was one of the main factors that had secured him after the...ordeal his mother had put him through. Pepito shuddered at the fresh memory.

The popularity chart of high schools was a funny thing, different from the junior high and middle schools, yet in the weirdest ways, exactly the same. For instance status wasn't only on whom you dated or hung with, it was nearly everything about you; family life, attitude, religion, beliefs, morals, skills flaws, clothing, personality and a multitude of other features.

He was lucky, he could be anything he wanted. Even a 'good Christian boy', or a jock completely consumed in his sports. Anything, and no one wanted to dig too far. Sure they wanted dirt, and scandal, but as long as you fed them a few scraps and didn't piss too many people off, people were apt to leave the so called foundation to your life alone.

"Hey! It's weird kid!" Jeff belted out, swinging his head towards the stairs only a few tables away. Unfortunately, there indeed was 'weird kid' trying to balance a heavily over loaded backpack while wobbling his way down the steps.

"Go on, Pepito! Call him over," Crystal chirped.

There were always unspoken rules, and Crystal was showing a great example of them. Never call out to someone you don't know, unless first alerting the person that _did_ know them. "Oh, uh...."

"Todd, right?"

"Yeah, but I-"

"HEY, TODD!" As she yelled, she waved an arm dramatically overhead. Her voice was plenty to grab your attention.

Crystal was a bit of an annoying ass, bitchy whore. But...not really a terrible person. She was still very, very annoying.

"Thank you, Crystal. That was really...nice and all. I'm sure Todd has other things to do."

Todd had nearly lost all semblance of balance at the unnecessarily loud call, and was now leaning against the wall for support. He eyeballed the table like a wild animal calculating its chances if it were to dash from a predator.

"Oh, Pepito! He is just too shy to come on over," Sara protested.

"Yeah...shy." Pepito cleared his throat, "Hey Todd. C'mere."

The boy's feet fell one in front of the other, but the look on his face conveyed he was just as confused on his movement as Pepito. _This is good! He's approaching people...even if we pulled him into it, he didn't run away or freak out!_ He shifted his chair over, trying to muster up some happiness from his sleep deprived stupor.

"Take a seat, bud."

Todd side saddled his way into the seat, his shoulders slumped out from under the book bag.

"Where's your lunch?" Jeff asked around his second slice of supreme pizza, baffled as to why any boy would waste perfectly good eating time.

"Not hungry." Todd's voice was high pitched, yet stayed low in volume.

"No wonder you're so thin!" Crystal balked, most likely eyeing the boy's figure, even though her body mass had to be just short of Todd.

"Gotta keep that girlish figure, huh man?" Conner laughed loudly.

His laughter fell short as Todd flinched, and crossed his arms low over his sunken abdominal area.

"I uh, uh...did I say something wrong babe?" he whispered loudly to Crystal.

"Hell if I know, I'd love to have people comment my figure!" All the girls twittered at the blonde's indignantly rasped opinion.

_This whole gay joke thing is really killing progress...I never realized how much I could physically long for a pillow. Direct approach could work too right?_ He leaned away from Todd, hopefully out of punching distance, not that anything the boy threw would really hurt.

"Actually Todd here prefers pursuing the girlish figures to keeping one," he whipped out his biggest grin possible without hitting the skeezyzone, and winked towards the girls.

"Ohhh, so Todd! You're like metro or whatever!"

Most of the boys looked relieved to not have a weird **and**gay kid near the group while others just looked confused. One boy leaned over to a leer at Todd, "pussy all the way man!"

Pepito would have paid to capture Todd's reaction on film. He jerked his head backwards, leaving the rest of his body rigidly in place, cocked an eyebrow and let his tongue peak out from under his lips. A look of suppressed revulsion that, somehow, the boy misinterpreted as a look of agreement. He nodded knowingly at Todd laughing as he sat back up in his chair. He cleared his throat to, most likely, continue the discussion of the female body and his undying love for it but Pepito opted out. Instead tuning into the girl's hushed whispers.

"Metro, I don't know."

"Is that not the term? I thought it was?"

"Yeah, but look at his hair! It so hasn't been properly hydrated, no shine at all! And hello, those nails? What metro guy chews his nails?"

"a nervous one?"

"Uh, no."

"Do gays chew nails? I thought they were clean too?"

"I don't know! But his **dads** look like that too, and I don't care what anyone says! They're like old and living together. Two dads mean a homo in the making."

Pepito grimaced at the girl, glad Todd was busy with the boys and their gross out humor.

"But I thought fags knew how to dress...he always like mismatches stuff. And...what is with the stripes! You think if he wanted to look thin he'd ditch the horizontal and fast."

"Oh my god, Ashley. I cannot believe you just said that."

"What? He looks-"

"No...f-fag." one of the more timid girls whispered, "You can't say that. It's like offensive."

"Uh, no its not. If they like being gay, why would it matter?"

Pepito sighed, weighing out which conversation at the table would hurt his head less.

"They call themselves fags!"

"I don't think that's-"

"Would you call Collin a fag to his face?" Sara asked, eyes flitting across the lunchroom to the main star of the choir and swing dance clubs, as well as head of the decoration committee. He was pretty much a walking rainbow.

"No, not to their faces, Sara, that's just rude."

"Oh, okay that makes sense."

"Jeez Sara no need to get worked up, unless you have a secret."

"Lesbians aren't fags, Johanna."

"Oh, right, duh!" she laughed awkwardly.

By now Pepito had had his fill of the conversation, and was beginning to phase out all together. The sound of pitiful stammering to his left brought him to the real world once more.

"N-n-no really guys, I'm fine."

"I know what he needs!"

"He _needs_ a chiropractor! My mom and I have a great one!"

"No!" Todd shrieked, gathering the attention of all the teens. "Squee...T-They...chiropract...ors...they torture you for a crazy, jacked up price...."

After a painfully long silence, he knew he had to say something for the poor paranoid boy.

"Oh yeah, my mom made me go to one of 'um. Dude, I was sore for a week! Makes no sense to me, aren't they supposed to make you feel better?" Pepito scoffed, raising an eyebrow at the girl to his left.

"Yeah I feel pretty crappy after going. My mom said that was normal...stupid, huh?" The girl laughed, as did the others. They had followed suit just fine.

"Anyways," Conner continued from his previous statement, "he needs a neck rub, then a quick crack, like coach always says!"

_He's fine! Geez, I'm the one sleeping on a couch! He probably sleeps wonderfully on that nice, big bed._ Pepito squirmed as he watched Conner, the gigantic lovable football oaf, approach the thinnest, twitchiest, most gaunt boy in school. Aside from those that used make up or bulimia to get an 'edge up' over the rest. It was nearly comical, watching him lumber towards the poor boy, flinching at what was probably an 'instinctual jock fear of touching a fully fledged queer. (As far as the school was concerned anyways.) Comical, until Todd's eyes went wide with terror, Conner's bear sized paws covering most of his entire head.

"Hold still, or I could do it wrong, okay?"

Yet another 'squee', though a bit muffled, trilled out from his friend.

"G-g-get off-f of me!!" The wiry bastard twisted his way out of the man-child's grip in a grace he could only have inherited from too much time spent with Nny. As he stood pressed against the nearby pillar, chest rising rapidly, Pepito found himself considering just how much of a lost cause the boy was. He shook his head wearily as Todd slid into the chair to his right, away from Conner, who was still standing unmoved, big meaty hands in position for what he had considered a welcoming, and generously friendly gesture.

"He uh...claustrophobia?" Pepito coughed into his shoulder, and pointedly staring Todd down.

Several kids made noises of a confused acceptance.

"Sorry, dude. Didn't have a clue. Really helps the neck though..." Conner fidgeted, slumping back into his chair and receiving a comforting pat from his 'bestie', Crystal.

"It's okay, no harm no foul...." Todd smiled softly, looking like he wanted to pass out on the ugly, stained linoleum...or perhaps just clean it.

_He'll get used to them sooner or later...at least, I hope so._ Pepito sighed, casting a forlorn looks up the stairs in the direction of the office. The nurse's office had several cots. That was so close to a quiet bed, he was considering a strong sprint up to the room to avoid any possible detouring factors came into play. Factors like the lunch bell ringing just as he made to stand up, annoyingly shrill, and definite, Pepito would be returning to class for his last two periods. At least it was Friday. _Oh, joy! I get to spend over twenty-four hours with Johnny! No pesky school interruptions!_ He kicked idly at the trashcan while shuffling down the crowded lunchroom walkway, earning him a glare from the largest of the security guards. He didn't feel like faking a 'cower of submission' today, and instead glowered right back. Security guards were mostly for show if there weren't any guns or fighting taking place. Besides, he was always such a good anti-Christ, and kids without records were liable to stay that way in such a relaxed school. The rules were meant to be bent, but never fully broken. It was weird how much of a house away from his home the high school had become, and only in a few months. He wondered idly how it would feel to look back at the building once he was in his rightful seat of power, all grown up. _At least then I'll be able to sleep whenever I want...._

* * *

"Hey Pepit-"

"No, Todd. Just...no. Your parents are **finally** gone...its quiet. I **must** sleep!" Pepito squawked indignantly, wriggling his head under the pillow.

"Hey, no need to be a...jerk about i-it."

"Jerk?! I-" _wait...._ He knew that tone; the soft, oddly places stumbling of words. He hadn't heard it in years but he remembered it all the same. Todd Cassil...was being nice.

Pepito was so he was near certain he could have cried if he wasn't so thoroughly exhausted. Instead he chose to keep his composure, slowly letting his eyes open as he shifted the from under the safe recesses of the pillow.

"Sorry, Todd...what's up?"

Todd's eyes lost focus, darting about the room aimlessly.

"I-uh, the bed is o...pen and all. That co-couch sucks to sleep on."

"Yeah, sure and risk Nny decapitating me? I think I'll-"

"No, I'll keep watch. It's a pretty new bed." Todd's tone grew restless, he was shifting a great deal on his feet. The offer would only be available for a few brief moments, and after years of solid fighting, Pepito was terrified to make the wrong move, consequentially kicking the sudden progression of their friendship square in the teeth.

"...That sounds awesome."

There was a sort of tick at the corner of the boys face...possibly a smile? _Yeah, or one of his many nervous habits, signaling a sudden surge of fear._ Pepito followed hazily after Todd, tripping several times over his own feet. _A bed...a really real bed! Not a couch or a desk...a quiet room, with a soft mattress._ He inwardly swooned at the very thought.

Todd pushed the door open and gestured weakly towards the bed, obviously questioning his own judgment on the whole idea. Pepito collapsed onto the bed, barely stopping to take in all that had changed over the years in the bedroom. Edgar had remodeled and replaced near everything, as he had everywhere else in the house, down to the nails in the walls it seemed.

Shrugging off the want to survey the room further, Pepito wasted no time curling up in the warm comforter. Truthfully, it could have been a cot and Pepito still would have been tickled just to be away from Johnny's television, and ever watchful gaze. But it wasn't. It was a new mattress, and one of those great form fitting, supporting set-it-yourself beds to boot!

"Hella...." Thankfully Todd didn't say anything about his rather feminine word choice.

He was already seeping into a dream state, his first trip to the wonderful land in the past five days, ten if you counted the time he had slept restlessly over the very idea of coming to the house. But just before he was fully submerged in the tingling bliss of dreaming, a slight weight startled him. He didn't dare open his eyes, no matter how slow, for Todd had voluntarily moved closer to him with no intention of vengeance! _As far as I know...._ He had settled onto the other side of the bed, wordlessly keeping watch just as he had promised. Pepito dared not move, just in case he was to shatter the unbelievably calm state of it all. So instead he started to focus on relaxing his tensed muscles from the previous nights of bad sleeping posture, starting from his neck and working down. Sleep came before he made it past his shoulders.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Pepito awoke once more on the rickety couch, quickly deciding not to wonder as to how he had gotten to the couch till he could ask Todd. He thought that having nearly six whole hours of wondrously delicate hours of sleep he could have handled Nny. If anything it made him long that much more for the bed...and the complete lack of hostility in the comforting presence of Squee at his side.

It was almost like being eight again. Back when Todd was attached to his hip, always coming to him first about nearly anything. Pepito's temper had taken a turn for the better after Todd stopped telling him all the horrid happenings in his daily life, only to skyrocket when he found out he hadn't been telling him for fear that 'he would get upset'. What was he supposed to do? They had been friends...amigos were supposed to watch each other's backs.

It felt like distant, silly dreams he was hanging onto, but he swore that it had been a real friendship, if not even an unintentional one on Todd's part. They _had_ been friends. No matter how long it took. Pepito had had a taste of what he missed so much, that soulful draw that had first keyed him toward Todd, one that had buried itself deep within the young boy when Nny had disappeared, along with the voice in his stuffed bear. He'd get his Squeegee back.

Sleepless nights and hateful glares aside, Pepito felt fantastic.


	15. Chapter 15 You have broken

Dream With Me  
ch. 15 You have broken (down on the road side)

Ice cream on a cold day was no new concept to Todd after years of midnight freezies even in the dead of winter. Peter didn't care for freezies, said they were too sweet and hurt his head, but he liked ice cream. The new concept today was being at Peter's house. It was weird.

The house itself was very normal, and the family inside was as well. A mother, a father, a little sister, two cats and a hamster all inhabited the space in a relative calm. It seemed Peter hadn't developed his surprisingly calm resolve, he had been spawned into it.

Todd licked at his frozen teeth, fidgeting with the plastic bowl containing his likewise frozen treat, trying to avoid the conversation he had provoked.

"I really don't follow you here Todd. You grew up together?"

"...yes." he swiveled on the computer chair to face Peter, but was not graced with eye contact as a video game held the boy's gaze.

"You hang out."

"No."

"Are forced into the same room while waiting for food, whatever same thing." Peter grunted at the screen, displeased with a teammate's poorly executed attack.

"Its not the same, I don't want to _hang_ with him."

"For the sake of not repeating the question of **why** for the hundredth time, you sat next to him at lunch."

"..." Todd shifted out of the chair, setting his bowl down, half eaten.

"The football game, would you call that hanging?"

"Uh yes, I was forced there." he sighed heavily, flopping down on the bed, pressing his feet against Peter's back.

"Wait," he laughed, "you really can't pull that card. You- shit, just kill him!"

Peter erupted in a fit of button mashing and muttered curses. So much for the calm resolve. Todd turned on his side, looking out the window at a dreary winter sky. Thank god for two weeks without school...and his mother letting him of grounding just in time. He raised a hand lazily to tap on the glass, it was a song he knew the rhythm for but nothing else.

"...yeah so, you're not really the man with no will. Why didn't you just fake sick?"

"Shut up Peter." Todd kicked at the boy's back.

"Hey, common sense. Thats a kid's first rule of defense, the sick day."

"I don't like to lie to Mr. Edgar." Todd shrugged, watching his breath fog the icy window.

"What about the pay phone thing?"

"Why do I tell you this stuff!" Todd shrieked, throwing an arm skyward.

"Cus we're pals!" Peter laughed, as he always did when Todd was too loud.

"You're not my pal, buddy...." the phrase was muffled as he burrowed under the pillow, but he knew he'd have heard it.

"You're not my buddy, friend."

"Okay enough, or we'll end up wasting an hour on it." Todd snorted.

Silence filled the small bedroom, aside from random bouts of gun fire and Todd's tapping he had continued on the wall. He just hoped Peter really had dropped the subject. He hadn't meant to bring up their constant battle of 'why do you hate that guy?', he had just wanted to say, 'Hey by the way, I did a good deed for Pepito. See, I can be nice!' But no, Peter had just wanted to know what was so difficult hor him to be nice. He just didn't get that it was Pepito, the selfish, manipulative, spoiled anti-Christ that had followed him for the greater part of his life!

"Todd...." Peter whispered, staring forward at a loading screen.

"...yes?"

"Your feet smell."

"Oh come on! Your a guy, why does it matter!" he tried to stiffle his laughter, twisting around on the small bed.

"I'm just messing with you. You get so quiet, gotta keep checking to make sure I don't have some gross emo Todd carving sad faces into my wall over there.

"You could just look around."

"And leave the blessed glow of technology? Never." Peter spat.

"Thanks, your concern is emotionally overwhelming." Todd moved back to the computer, clicking around to his several favorite homepages.

"You aren't my friend, pal." Peter smiled.

_Time to waste an hour._

* * *

Five days into break, and Christmas was staring them right square in the face. Mr. Edgar had scrubbed, polished, decorated and tidied up even more than usual. Main holidays really brought out the festive cleaner in him.

Todd watched from the door way as he vacuumed the carpet where the Christmas tree would go...again. The tree wasn't even here yet! Nny was in the car, starting it up while Todd waited patiently for the heat to kick in. It was difficult to summon the will for tree shopping, considering there would be a death toll. But it was tradition, and Mr. Edgar loved that.

He wrapped a scarf over his shoulders before waving a half hearted goodbye to his mother and plunging out into the cold. It was always hot in New Mexico, almost the whole year round. When it got cold, it got ridiculously cold. It didn't snow or rain, but any moisture on the ground would freeze in seconds, so Todd took his time in the weather. His luck was as horrid as it had always been and he had grown increasingly more clumsy over the years. Mr. Edgar said he'd grow out of it when he started to fill in...whenever that was.

"Squeegee, hurry it up!" Nny called from atop the car, wiggling to keep circulation through his frail body.

As they both slid into the front of the car, Todd not taking the risk of walking around, both shivered at the rapid change of temperature.

"Okay, here we come tree!" Nny yelled, slamming onto the gas and speeding down the driveway, not even bothering to steer away from the neighbor's mailbox.

_Look out world._Todd tried not to clench everything around him as Nny sped down the possibly ice speckled roads. Two more days till Christmas, he glanced over at Nny wondering if Edgar would still go to church this year. It seemed sporadic, the placement of years they attended Christmas mass and the years they chose to stay at home. Todd wasn't partial to either really as it had never been his decision.

Nny chatted away about cold people and the habits they took up in the winter, nearly missing every pedestrian they passed. When they had arrived, death free, Todd felt more tense than he had been in the speeding vehicle. How long would Nny make it? Could they make it back to the car? It wouldn't be the first time, but it was in the minority as far as the probability levels.

He followed Nny's aimless hunt for a good tree, feeling more out of it than usual, yet knowing he couldn't change the odd mood. He had been quiet all break. At first he had thought it was just from being home, grounded, for so long but that didn't seem to be the case. He wasn't feeling any less hazy. Mr. Edgar had called him docile...that sounded weird. Like he was a wild animal finally coming to terms with captivity. Todd had heard several teens talk about feelings similar to what he had been feeling on television a while ago, but he really didn't want to think he was something as clichéd or pointless as depressed. It was just such a whiny teenage thing to say, 'I'm depressed!' No, he was just in a weird droop.

"That one looks nice." He mumbled from under the scarf.

"I think so too," Nny beamed at his choice, "hold on to it."

Todd latched onto the center of the tree, stepping back as Nny swung a sickle-type tool at the base. It took three hard whacks, a good deal of awkward maneuvering, and the tree was up, strapped to the roof of the car. Nny handed Todd the money, and though he didn't want to say anything just yet, he felt pretty confident the tree hunt would end without too much commotion this year.

He slid the money under the plastic screen, feeling the warmth from inside the booth, and pointed to their car.

"Five seventy-five is your change." the woman's gravely voice had Todd shivering again as he accepted the change.

Jogging back to the car, he shivered once more at the door's cold handle before climbing back in.

"Whoo! Glad thats over!" Nny sang, stepping on the gas accelerating...straight through several pre-cut trees. Todd cringed at the outraged cries, begging the people to just keep quiet and value their lives. He lunged forward to turn on the radio. Holiday jingles filled the car. Nny was even in a good enough mood to crow along with the radio, staying in the right lane even...for the most part.

Nny had been really happy the last few days, and although a happy Johnny was good for everyone, it still left him uneasy. What would happen when the good mood came crashing down? He just hoped it could wait till after Christmas.

As they pulled into the driveway, Mr. Edgar came striding out, ready to tote the tree to it's stand. Nny ran in ahead of them, and Todd trailed in afterward. The lights for the tree were already strung out on the floor, creating a maze of land mines to avoid. It was a good thing Mr. Edgar liked setting up the lights, because Todd would most likely ruin half the bulbs and Nny would just end up cutting them all up before they were even untangled.

Within the half hour the tree was up and ready for final decoration, something that had never really interested Nny and he quickly disappeared to the lower levels. He was left with his mother, happily picking through the boxes of bulbs.

Edgar liked the smell of pine trees. Johnny seemed to loathe candles, and he was too curious for his own good, so automatic spraying plug-ins were his enemies (they always got him right in the eye). The annual christmas tree was a nice change. It filled the whole main floor with its smell, and though it left pine needles on his usually pristine carpet, it was worth it.

Currently he was decorating the tree, hanging up ornaments he'd started buying every year since Todd first relocated to their house. Edgar wouldn't have dared have holidays without Nny's precious 'squeejee' to use as a buffer. That, added to a long debate over the frivolities that culture had placed upon the holiday and how that had truly de-spiritualized it for good, convinced Johnny that it was okay. Though Johnny wasn't necessarily what one might call fatherly, he did have a strange compulsion to spoil their 'son' around this time of the year. The pile of presents that Edgar would carefully wrap the night before, was usually impressive in its height the next morning.

Todd was sitting on the couch, watching him, and occasionally getting up and helping him with the traditional decorating. Their conversation was mild and light, passing comments and remembrances that would peter off into content silence. Edgar was really using the idle chatter as a tool for further procrastination. There was a topic he'd been wanting to broach with his son for quite some time now, but he was afraid that he would just chase him further away. A parent can always feel their child pull away from them. Even the most horrible parents still feel it, and they still hate it. When Todd pulled away it was like he pulled all of himself in and locked it away and just disappeared from the world. Edgar supposed that he'd gotten that from him, and there wasn't a day he didn't feel guilty over it. _Just remember what Barbara said, no-nonsense,_ Edgar reminded himself.

"So Todd, do you think maybe now that you're ungrounded again you'll be hanging out with your friends?" Edgar started hopefully.

"Um," Todd gave him a 'Nny' look, his head darting forward and his eyes squinting, "you mean Peter?"

"Of course, but what about Pepito, I mean, I know you're gonna see him for New Years Dinner, but maybe you could do some 'hanging out' that doesn't involve gross parties?"

As soon as Pepito's name left his mouth Edgar saw Todd's eyes grow hateful and far away, a scowl settling on his face. Edgar sighed. Todd crossed his arms and leaned against the couch, his brief hatred turning to sarcasm as he raised a brow, silently saying, 'are you kidding me?'

"What, you two seemed to be getting along lately," Edgar tried his best 'I'm innocent, really!' frown that Barbara had taught him.

"Getting along? You call dragging me to a football game and then to a alcohol infested party, getting me grounded, and then attempting to talk to me about MY family life _GETTING ALONG_?" Todd rambled.

"I thought that going to the football game was just apart of helping you socialize, Barbara said that it was meant as a good thing," Edgar inwardly flinched at the bald-faced lie, but false-knowledge seemed to work for her, why couldn't it work for him? Todd froze before him.

"W-what are you talking about?!" Todd practically screeched.

"Todd I know that you wouldn't have gone there willingly if-"

"It wasn't willing!"

"-it must have been because if you really didn't want to go you wouldn't have," Edgar corrected, "anyways, you wouldn't have gone if you hadn't thought it might be a good idea for some reason. So, besides Pepito dropping some hints to his mother, the two of us put it together."

Todd pushed himself into the couch cushions like he was hoping they might eat him.

"The fact that the party got out of hand was not Pepito's fault and you know it, and what's wrong with him talking to you about your family?"

"Because it's none of his business and there's nothing to talk about!"

"Well what exactly was he asking about?"

Todd fidgeted for several minutes before mumbling, "That fight and…and how Nny was taking my grounding."

Edgar felt the slightest creepings of envy in the pit of his stomach but he squashed them down before they could become anything. He'd wished for the longest time that he had someone to talk to about everything, someone to unload on. But Barbara was Nny's friend, not his, and other than that there was no one. Talking to Nny wasn't a good idea because Nny was the problem. He hadn't realized it but he'd put at least a dozen more ornaments up on the tree.

"Mr. Edgar?"

"You should talk to him about it, Todd."

"What?! Why? He has no clue what its-"

"So explain it, whatever it takes. You need someone to talk to, Todd," Edgar looked over his shoulder, finding and holding Todd's gaze to emphasize the importance of this, "I don't want you to become me."

Finding he had no more ornaments left to hang, Edgar shook his head. What was he thinking?

- – - – - – - – - – - –

"So you want me to talk to Pepito about our fucked-up-ness?" Todd clarified.

He watched as Mr. Edgar rubbed wearily at his forehead, his other hand clenching tightly and shaking. Then suddenly he was up and moving again, packing up the empty boxes to go back in the garage until epiphany. He still hadn't answered Todd's question.

"Mr. Edgar?"

"Yes Todd?"

"You really want me to talk to him about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Our, you know…dysfunctional-ness?"

"What do you mean?" Mr. Edgar glanced up at him from his box, and Todd sighed. He knew that look.

"I know it may seem like we have a few screws loose, but Todd, we're really just fine, you have nothing to worry about."

He was hiding from it again. Todd wanted to scream at him, 'what are you talking about? A minute ago you were telling me to pour my heart out to Pepito of all people and now you're saying we're okay?' But he knew better. He'd been down this road before. For just a few minutes his 'mom' would open up to him, acknowledge they had a problem, that they weren't exactly a happy family. Then a second later he would act like the conversation hadn't happened, and reassure him. Everything was okay. But those few moments ago, Todd had seen something in Mr. Edgar's eyes. _I don't want you to become me._ He realized, Mr. Edgar didn't have a Pepito, an infuriating outlet, but an outlet all the same. But…it was _Pepito_. Todd shook his own head and grunted in acknowledgment to his 'mother' that he'd help him with taking the empty ornament boxes back to the garage.

_We may not be 'okay'...but I'm not depressed._ Todd glared down at the boxes, holding open the garage door with his hip to allow Edgar to pass by, trying to ignore the hard lump in his throat.

* * *

It wasn't until after all the Christmas traditions had flown through (dinner, increased family time, Christmas specials on television, and of course a mountain of presents) that Todd was able to be by himself...not that he was looking forward to it. It was always much easier to ignore how sick he felt, or just how much his chest hurt when he was surrounded by things to do, and voices to drown it out. He walked through the silent house, wishing his new mp3 player would finish charging. Even the weird demo music they always came with would be better than nothing.

The bedroom was one of the warmest rooms in the house, and where he spend most ridiculously cold days. Today was no exception and after a quick trip to the kitchen for eggnog Todd returned to the makeshift nest of blankets awaiting him. He wasn't thirsty, but it was something to do while he waited for Mr. Edgar and Nny to come back from errands.

_I wonder if we still have that old heating pad...._ He was far too lazy to check, and had already situated himself on the bed.

Turning onto his side, Todd pressed a hand against his neck, and rubbed hard at the tensed muscles. It hurt to swallow...but he wasn't an idiot, he knew why and how to make it better. The knowledge didn't make it any easier. He hated crying...it wasn't as bad when you got worked up and just cried but after suppressing the need for six days it just seemed stupid.

Todd hated seeing that side of his mother. But he still wished it could stay long enough to finish out a conversation, or do more than deliver a heavy blow of reality then disappear just as quick. It wasn't fair, Todd whimpered, pressing his face into the soft pillow. Mr. Edgar just phased out, he never had to hurt and cry over worthless things like Todd. Nny usually forgot most of what bothered him, only remembering that something had bothered him at one point. That didn't sound fun either. Todd...he cried, he cried and felt like an idiot for it. _It hurts...._ he choked on the lump, pressing harder on his throat. _There isn't anything wrong!_

"S-stop please...." Todd twisted to face the ceiling as several hot tears rolled back into his ears. He had always hated that feeling, water in his ears, and pulled on a blanket to soak it up. It was no use, resulting in a wet blanket, Todd huffed and curled up onto his side. His head was already throbbing, the pain in his chest only increasing as he choked back a sob.

_Why do I need Pepito...whats wrong with being like Mr. Edgar!?_ it was a bluff too obvious to make any positive effect on his mood, if anything it only seemed to worsened his headache. He ground the heels of his hands against clenched eyelids, hoping to stop their down pour of unnecessary emotion.  
_Peter...I can't tell Peter about Nny! I can't even describe the basics of our family structure without causing problems._ In their short friendship, Todd had not once voluntarily discussed his father and Peter had picked up on his avoidance very quick. _If Pepito ever notices avoidance he takes it as a freaking target!_ He couldn't help but laugh bitterly at what conclusion he had just led himself to.

Sliding his hands up and down across his heated face, Todd sighed trying to calm himself down. His chest hurt less...but not as much as he would have hoped.

"I cried! What more do you want!?" Todd cringed at the needy tone to his voice.

The silence seemed heavy now, nothing to hide his ragged breathing from him. He reached under the bed, feeling around for the familiar fabric. _There...._ Up over the edge of the bed appeared his childhood confidant, Shmee. He hugged the once over stuffed but now rather worn thin teddy bear, rubbing the soft suede against his raw eyes.

"Why should I tell Pepito about my family...its _my_ family...right?" Todd whispered into Shmee's frayed hair strands.

After several minutes of pressing close to the stuffed animal, Todd sighed, "Why wont you answer me...?"


	16. Chapter 16 All My Dreams

Dream With Me  
Ch. 16 All my Dreams (ride shotgun now)

Pepito was beginning to feel the change in temperature, signaling that he was indeed returning home. After a beautiful week spent with random, fellow Hawaii escapists, Pepito couldn't imagine that he would have to return to the strict schedules and watching eyes that his everyday life held. At least there were eight days until school started up once more.

He had always liked flying, and after the numerous rides all through his life Pepito couldn't muster the energy to worry of a fiery, tragic death. It also helped that there had never really been a threat of that, he'd be just fine by morning, especially considering the passenger two places to his left, his father.

Easing the window open, Pepito was met with thick clouds lined in a barely visible, early morning glow. _Todd would like flying I bet...._ He smiled, imagining the paranoid boy strapping himself down, griping the seat tight and fixing his eyes on the captain's alert speaker. He had always liked the idea of things like flying, but never trusted them completely. Pepito closed his eyes, leaning back into the seat. Edgar had apparently let the boy off grounding just in time for winter break...just in time for Pepito to be packing to leave. Not that Todd would have let him around anyways...but maybe he would have.

Pepito couldn't help but wonder considering how Todd had been acting. Just before break he had sat with his friends at lunch several times and not once had Todd sought a fight with him! That in itself was a miracle, and Pepito was anxious to see if it had changed in his short absence.

"Pepi, darling, we'll probably start to land soon. Remember to grab your bag." His mother whispered, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Mhmm, okay mother."

- – - – - – - – - – - – -  
A good two hours later, after baggage reclaim, finding one of their lost luggage carriers, and a tiring drive from the city, Pepito was finally home. He threw his bags on the floor, crawling over them to his bed, cuddling one of his pillows. It was amazing how good home smelled.

"Pepito!"

"Yeeees?" He crooned, ready for a nap.

"Don't forget to put everything away, son!"

"....Yes father."

Jet lag had him dragging himself about the room, stuffing his things into random places. A job that should have taken him a good half hour was condensed into about five minutes. He turned once more to his bed, shoving the suitcases under his bed, pulled back his blankets and-

"Son?"

_Nooooo...I just imagined that...please no!_

"Turning in? Too much sleep isn't good for you, you know." Mr. Diablo chuckled.

"Yeah...just tired and...what was it you wanted, padre?" Pepito pushed away from the bed, willing himself to not fall backwards as he turned to face his father.

"Ah, yes! Lessons, you may not be in school officially but you still have to keep up on your private lessons."

"Of course, I even tried practicing while we were out."

"How did it go?" his father leaned against the door frame.

"Okay...."

"Well, be sure to study up, I want to see you try this afternoon as well. Possessions really shouldn't be this hard son."

"I...know. Sorry padre." Pepito tried to sound sincere, but was too tired to truly care about his horrible past performances.

After a final glance around the room, his father smiled and turned to leave, "Do a good job and you may find yourself Off restriction before school starts."

That certainly had his attention; Pepito beamed pulling back the covers for his nap. Glancing at his phone he noted it was only seven a.m. Plenty of time for a good nap.

Funny how tired you could be from a _vacation_.

- – - – - – - – - – - – -

"Pepi...Pepi darling?"

"Hnnn...." he heard the whine long before it processed.

"Pepito, that _thing_ has been buzzing for the past half hour! Really now, wake up." His mother's reprimanding tone sounded distant.

_Wait...buzz...phone? Phone thing, uhg...._ He forced a hand to flop out from under his warm cocoon of blankets, searching aimlessly for his phone. After hitting the lamp, the house phone, his car keys and a glass of water he was considering opening an eye.

"Ha, there you are...right where I put you last." he snorted at himself before flipping open the phone.

"One missed call.... Do I really care right now...?"

Though he really didn't care to see who had called, his phone alerted him of a voice mail and it had always been a rule he had with himself that if someone bothered to leave a message it was probably worth listening to.

"I swear..." he clicked at the voice mail, pressing the phone to his ear, "if this is Adam I'll kill him."

'Please enter your password.'

"..."

'you have ONE new message. To listen pre-'

-beep-

'….'

"Are you serious? Blank? Ugh-" Just as he was about to toss the phone back on the table he hear a soft 'hey'.

'I...uh...Mr. Edgar said you'd get home today. You're probably on the plane or whatever. Uh...yeah. Well...bye?'

-click-

"...Todd?"

Pepito lowered the phone, pushing himself up out of bed, suddenly not so tired. It was only two o'clock and somewhere inside he was dying to just lie back down. Instead he inched his feet to the floor, vaguely aware he had stripped to his boxers at one point. _Oh...need bathroom._ He shuffled down the hall shaking his head in the hopes of regaining coherency.

On the way back o his room Pepito could hear his mother chastising him on his attire.

"It's not like anyone's even here!"

"Decency, Pepito! Your mother taught it to you so act like it!"

He couldn't help but laugh while closing the door behind him. Pulling on the clothes he had previously discarded, he glanced at his phone once more. With Todd it was never clear what he wanted. Should he go over to the house or just call back? If Todd had something to say over the phone, wouldn't he have just said it? But it could be something family related that he didn't want him over for....

Old memories of Todd helping Mr. Edgar scrub off the smeared, dried blood from Nny's midnight finds set his mind on edge. _...Or maybe he just wanted to call for a nice average, non-trauma educed reason._ They may have been his thoughts, but he still didn't feel it was likely. Todd had never, **never**, not even once, called just because. Even when they were at their closest. No...it had to be for something.

Pepito made up his mind, grabbing for his car keys, and digging through his closet for a jacket and scarf. Once he stood in front of his bedroom door, Pepito pondered the best way to execute his mini-escape. Really, he should just do his lessons, then leave...but he wasn't ready, not that he'd get much practice on possessing while out driving.

_ I should just keep it casual, try to make a steady walk to the door._His brow creased in concentration, Pepito eased the door open and did just that. He made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Up and about already, I see?"

"Yes father." Pepito tried to smile casually.

"Hm, and where are you off to?"

"Off to?"

"The scarf?"

"Ah...uh..." he tried to weigh his chance at a lie actually working, "...out. Todd called so."

"Oh, well that's fine, be sure to tell him hello." his father smiled.

"You should make sure to be back by five though."

"Okay...why five?" Pepito fiddled with the keys in his pocket.

"Dinner I sat six, and that should give us plenty of time for a lesson." Diablo tilted his head at his son, confused as to why he should be explaining it.

"Right , lesson...right." Pepito stared at the wall behind his father, barely in the conversation anymore, "I'm- see you then."

Spinning on his heel, Pepito strode towards the door, the cool air cad him paused for only a second. He ran to his car, in a hurry to start the heater.

The drive over was spent huddled over the steering wheel, hatefully glaring out at the world. _At least...it's not New York cold...._

Edgar was the first to reach the door, but the noise level in the household made it clear Nny was on the first level. _Perfect._ he thought.

"Pepito."

The emotion on the man's face was muddled, but not off putting so Pepito smiled up at him.

"Hello, Mr. Edgar. Is Todd here?" _Where else would he be?_

Edgar's face seemed to mirror Pepito's thoughts, "Yes but he's...in the shower."

"Oh." Did that mean he had to go?

"Come on it."

Apparently not.

"So how was Hawaii?" He asked, walking back towards the kitchen.

"Oh good- great. Warm." he sputtered, walking briskly after him. He could feel Nny watch them walking by but chose not to acknowledge the blatant stare. The house was pristine as usual, aside from the dishes Mr. Edgar was in the middle of.

"Well, that's good. Last year, was it, the issues with the tsunami?" He drove his hands back into the dish water.

"Two years." Pepito started to take a seat at the table but thought better of it, searching for a towel to dry with.

"Hm, sounded pretty crazy. Next to the stove."

"Huh? Oh, thanks. Yeah it was."

"Hm."

He had dropped the ball, letting the conversation die on his end. Once that happened with Mr. Edgar it was difficult to rekindle, especially if he wasn't quiet in the mood for one. Pepito had never been very good at judging Todd's parent's moods. Johnny's because he was sporadic, Edgar's were just buried too deep.

Time passed, the dished were near done, and Pepito had yet to think of a proper conversation starter. He'd had a few failures so far.

"Todd sure does take long showers." he thought out loud.

Mr. Edgar gave him a rather flat look.

_What was that for?!_

As if he knew he was being talked about, the water stopped and minutes later Todd's feet could be heard padding along the hardwood.

"Hey, mom we're out of body wa-" Todd's tone immediately changed from casual to defensive, "-at are you doing here?"

"You called." Pepito quipped, drying off the last of the silverware, before turning to face Todd.

He stood hands on hips, neck jutted out, clad in pajama bottoms, obviously too lazy to get dressed. "Yes, I _called_. Why are you here?"

_Damn...should have just called back._

"Uh-"  
"Todd, you're dripping water on the floor." Mr. Edgar cut in.

"Oh shit! Sorry!" and with that the angry teen ran from the kitchen, back into the bathroom.

"Now...Pepito, I don't know why you're here but you might want to think of a reason. He's been a bit moody." Edgar raised his eyebrows, the light glaring off his glasses.

"Yes, sir. Sorry." Pepito grinned and tossed the towel back where he had grabbed it, jogging airily out of the room.

"...Compromise Todd, please just compromise." Edgar sighed.

"What?!"

"Nothing, Nny!"

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Pepito paused at the door, unsure on whether he was free to enter, but ignored the red flag. "Hey."

"Agh!" Todd jumped, dropping his towel in the sink, "Geez, what? Don't _do_ that!"

"Uh, yeah. So what did you call about?"

"Why are you here?"

"...Because you called." Pepito stressed the words, trying to keep his cool.

"You should have called." Todd mimicked his tone, rubbing at his hair with the already damp towel.

"Wanted out of the house is all." It was only a partial lie really.

"Ah." Todd stared at Pepito's reflection in the mirror, "Didn't you just get back?"

"Being with family for too long drives me crazy," he sighed, leaning against the towel rack, "Not that I don't adore Madre but...she gets a little neurotic after a week."

Todd laughed, but it sounded off, strained, "Yeah...."

The silence mounted, Nny's television blaring even from across the house. He seemed to be thinking, drifting, and although that was normal Pepito didn't have all the time in the world. He glanced down at his phone; it was a quarter to three.

"Todd?"

"Let's go."

"What?" Pepito laughed at the odd jump.

"Let's go." Todd repeated, he definitely still sounded moody.

Pepito didn't even have time to question before the boy was out of the room, and down the hall.

"W-what? Where? And...why?"

"What? Go. I don't care and because." Todd tittered from the bedroom.

"O..kay? Really?" Pepito sighed, entering the room just as Todd jerked off the fleece pants, roughly pulling up a fresh pair of jeans.

He stood as quiet as possible as Todd dug through the dresser for a suitable shirt. Next he slipped on a rather thin coat, grabbed his phone and strode past him out the door.

"...Really?"

"Pepi, shut up and walk." Todd shouted from the front door.

He walked towards Todd but froze as Nny appeared next to him.

"Walk? Where ya going squeegee?"

"Just...nowhere I guess. Just driving."

"That's dumb."

"Hey, Nny could you help me with this?" Edgar shouted from the kitchen.

Nny scoffed at the kitchen doorway, glaring one last dagger at Pepito, "**Remember**, no gross drunken parties."

"I remember." Todd hurried out the door to Pepito's car.

"Yeah, me and my drunken parties at 3 in the afternoon...." He waited till he was out of ear shot.

"What?" Todd called from the passenger seat.

"Nothing Todd."

Pepito slid behind the wheel, waiting for the heat to kick on and pulling out of the drive way. "And we are off." He spoke slow, waiting for Todd to finish with where they were off to. No such luck, the boy simply smiled at Pepito's odd voicing and turned away to watch the passing scenery.

"...so...uh..." Pepito drummed on the wheel;, slowing to a near stop every time they reached a possible turn in the road, "what was with the sudden 'let's get outta here'?"

"...How was Hawaii?" There was a distinct lack of caring for whatever answer Pepito would have provided.

"Great, hot, lots of swimsuits," he rushed through the explanation, "same as always. How was your break?"

"Great."

If Todd wouldn't talk then it was down to fishing around for the right button. Hopefully he wouldn't accidentally press self-destruct.

"How's Peter?"

"Good?"

"You hang out?"

"Yep."

"Cool cool."

"Yeah."

"...Yeah...."

_Fuck I have no idea where to go with this. It's probably fucking family related!_ He pouted, slumping into his seat. Todd had made it quite clear family was 'off limits for Pepito at Thanks Giving. A sudden twisting in his stomach grabbed his attention. _Holy crap I'm starving! How did I **just** notice that?!_

"Hey, Todd...."

He hummed in response, eyes not leaving the window.

"Hungry?

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Pepito sat pleasantly munching away at his half of the foot long, chicken bacon ranch. Turned out that Todd had forgotten to grab his wallet in the rush out the door. He was more than happy to pay but Todd only wanted half of a sub, offering to go next door as well and get them both ice creams. It just so happened to be Pepito's favorite creamery in town, so he didn't mind the personal cost. It made Todd that much closer to comfort and, although casual, he still seemed distant. He figured he'd talk eventually.

Taking another large bite just as Todd walked through the double door entrance sporting two ice creams, Pepito tried to force a smile. He only managed to drop a piece of lettuce that had yet to make it past his lips.

"Charming. Started without me I see."

"Am just sho hungry, shorry amigo!" he slurred around the unnecessarily large bite.

Todd looked highly grossed out, but then shook his head and even laughed, taking a seat across from him. He started in on the frozen treat.

Pepito finally managed to swallow, though forcefully, and stared at Todd's choice in a first course, "Dessert first?"

"Well, yes. You know how much of a rebel I am against the whole forced orders in meals." Todd rolled his eyes.

"Shame, shame." Pepito smiled, wagging a finger at the boy.

"I'm getting scolded for breaking food rules...from the devil's son?"

"Hey, I'm no Anti-Christ," he paused to chuckle at Todd's dead panned expression, "I am but the friendly neighborhood school boy, that is both _devilishly_ good looking...and heavily dedicated to his studies." he mused, waggling his eyebrows from behind the sub sandwich.

"Oh, you forgot modest." Todd rested his head on a hand, leaving the other to continue lazily spooning away at the ice cream as he stared out the large window pane.

_Does he have a thing for windows or what?_

"You people watching or something?"

"Huh? What, no. What people?" he snorted.

"Guess it is kind of barren out, today." They were in fact the only occupants in the restaurant aside from a very bored store clerk. She looked as if a bullet to the forehead would be an improvement to her current occupation.

"What you thinking bout?"

"Nothing."

"Sure you aren't fantasizing about mopping up spills with a blam-omg?"

A coy smirk showed how close he had been, before Todd had the chance to admit it. "Maybe. I was… kinda thinking about the turbo-oven."

"You guys and your infomercials! " Pepito laughed, still perplexed as to how anyone could enjoy those things.

"You live with Nny long enough you start to like 'em, ya know?"

_He seems to be in a good mood today. He looked like he only mildly disliked me instead of the usual loathing._

"Oh, haha...yeah...." Pepito seemed to phase out, picking idly at a bit of lettuce at the edge of his tray.

As the silence mounted, Todd turned to his faithful window watching. _I'm really fine, you know. We're fine, maybe I'm just whining! …I should be quiet._Todd glanced at Pepito once more...still staring at his food. _ It's not like he cares, anyways. I'm just wasting his time. ..and his money… I should go home. Mr. Edgar says I need to…but it's so stupid. Why Pepito? He's...ngg._  
"...Todd, you never call for no reason."

"I know." Todd couldn't help the deep sigh that followed.

"I mean, this is a great way to procrastinate on lessons and all, but I know you need-you _want_ to talk to me about whatever this is. You can stew however long you want to about it; I'll wait, but know that I have to be back at my house by five."

Five? What time it now? It could only be 3 something. After a quick, hopefully subtle peak at his phone, Todd realized it was already four thirty. _Holy crap, I'm a time suck._ He realized with a surprising amount of dismay. _Is this my now or never warning? How lame…._

"I'm…um…thanks for buying all this for me, Pepi, how much was it anyways? I can pay you back when we get home; I know Mr. Edgar always keeps a certain amount of-"

"Todd…" Pepito was giving him that weary look, like one gives a beaten puppy too pathetic to dignify with an 'I'm sorry', "it's not a big deal, you don't have to pay me back, it's not like I can't afford it you know."

Todd fidgeted with the hems of his jacket sleeves, staring at his slender, almost bony fingers. Idly he rubbed at the side of his left hand with the thumb of his right, making the skin there turn pink and raw. Pepito swatted his right hand away from his left and muttered some sort of reprimand. 'Don't do that' or 'stop it', 'quit it'-

"Todd, just talk to me," Pepito said, calmly and plainly. It wasn't an order, or really a question, nor a plea. Todd couldn't bring lift his gaze from the tabletop, he wasn't even sure if Pepito was the one who'd said it at this point, maybe it was his own thoughts resolutely reminding him of his initial mission?

"You know Nny was really mad this…this morning, cuz Mr. Edgar had gone to the store early and brought home some trial cans of paint, you know those kinds they just give you they're like a quart, I dunno. And he was like, 'what is this? Painting the car? The furniture?' and Mr. Edgar was gonna try and say something about painting the walls you know cuz he's always wanted to and Nny just-"

"Todd?"

"…and there was this one time where Mr. Edgar wasn't…and he tried to get him to hit back I think I dunno, but he wouldn't and then he took me to the car and we went _paint_ shopping, I dunno why it's so goddamn important, it's just paint!" Todd spluttered, his eyes stung and so did his nose, like he was gonna sneeze. Instead he felt the tears starting to slide down his cheeks and he could feel Pepito shifting nervously in his seat.

"Todd what does this have to do with-"

"It has everything to do with this Pepi what the fuck am…I…even saying…anymore…" Todd had thought he knew where he was going with this, he'd had a point somewhere…along the line. Why couldn't Pepito just read his mind? _Wait, that's not a good idea…never mind._

"C'mon Todd, stop, stop crying, it's okay, shhh," through his blurred vision Todd could see Pepito holding his hands up and making shushing motions like he was trying to calm a rabid animal. He kept looking around them, his eyes alighting on customers that Todd didn't remember being there before.

Todd swiped at his eyes mumbling, "I'm sorry…"

"It's ok, it's ok, gah, c'mon amigo, don't be such a girl about this, just shut up!" Pepito was pulling him out of his chair now roughly, abandoning their trash as he hastily yanked him out of the shop.

Todd stopped crying instantly, feeling what little emotion that had burst forth suck itself back in rapidly until all that was left was a dry and pinched ghost of feeling. His eyelids drooped a bit and he felt tired. But mostly he felt like he'd been smacked. It didn't quite feel like the cool flat of a blade, but for some reason it left him with the same empty, grasping feeling inside, like he was reaching out for something that was really nothing.

Pepito guided him to the passenger side and let him fall, discombobulated into the front seat. Todd arranged his gangly, numb limbs inside the car. Pepito shut the door with unnecessary force while Todd tried to buckle himself in. He was going to fold his hands in his lap but thought better of it, electing to stare out the window.

"Todd…I…Its not the sharing thing. Its just-"

"No…no…I'm fine." Todd replied wispy tone.

"No really, listen," He only realized just how awful his reaction had been, once they were safely within the car, "Mother…says its not appropriate to cry in stores."

Todd merely continued to stare at his lap, looking as limp as a ragdoll. _Whyyy? Why couldn't I have just let him cry!?_ Pepito felt like pulling out his hair, or yelling but knew it would only upset Todd further. _Maybe I could….hmmm_

"Please…."

"What? What, Todd?" Pepito asked, feeling a tad horrid about how much he hoped that this might be another breakdown.

"Take me home…." It was bairly a whisper, and Todd tried to cover it up by clearing his throat half heartedly.

"Please. Take me home." he tried again, resulting in a near normal sound.

"Yeah…that's…probably best."

Pepito started the car, and pulled out into the evening traffic almost immediately.

"Shit." He hissed.

Todd visibly winced at the sound, but didn't bother inquiring.

_I'm going to be fucking late!_ He wanted to scream now, more than ever. Squeezing the wheel he tried to recall his already memorized step-by-step possession guide. He should have learned it years ago, but it had slipped his teacher's mind at the time. It was a simple procedure, one that came in handy often, or so he was told. But _he_, the Anti-Christ, was only _just_ learning it. It was like starting to learn the correct names for colors…at the age of 16. Possessions, or rather the half-possessions he was capable of so far, were very interesting. It was like being with someone in the body, controlling their actions…yet they had to just sit and watch from the side lines. His version…had an issue though…but he was working on perfecting it, and he just knew he'd get it in no time.

_Wait…possessions. Possessions! That's it!_

"TODD!" he screamed, lunging towards him.

"Gah, what! Fuck!"

"I have a _really_ good idea."

"…no." Todd squeaked.

"Okay, well no really. Its good! I think I finally thought of what we can do to help you around the normal kids or whatever!" Pepito grinned, maneuvering around several extra slow commuters. Damn after-work traffic….

"Pepi…I'm just not in the mood."

Pepito tried to sit still, tried to not talk…but it just wasn't working. "No I promise, it'll allow you to be even weirder without having to worry so much! And since you'd just be fixing their thoughts, you wouldn't need to learn how to move their body! That's the really hard part." Pepito glared, remembering his first try at walking.

"What…what are you even talking about?" he sounded drained, tired and annoyed, but mostly tired.

"Possession."

"Wha-"

"Trust me, amigo! I'll show you everything I know! …Right after my lesson…or else I'll be grounded…more." Pepito only faltered in his proud smile for a moment, reaching over to pat a very displeased looking Todd.

"Trust you…yeah."


End file.
